RESUMO
A study on the effect of retinol in vitro on the hemolysis of vitamin Ε deficient rat red blood cells showed that retinol enhanced the lysis of the Ε deficient cells as compared to the lysis of normal cells. The lipid peroxidation present during hydrogen peroxide induced lysis of Ε deficient cells was however markedly inhibited in the presence of retinol without affecting the rate of lysis. In an actively peroxidising system of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation of rat liver or brain homogenates and of brain lysosomes incubated with human erythrocytes, no lysis was obtained; incorporation of retinol in such systems resulted in lysis but no peroxidation. Hydrogen peroxide generating substances almost completely inhibited the lysis of normal human erythrocytes by retinol, but linoleic acid hydroperoxide and auto-oxidised liver or brain homogenates and ox-brain liposomes increased the lysis. It is concluded that vitamin Ε deficient erythrocyte hemolysis may be augmented by retinol, an anti-oxidant, having a lytic function without the peroxidation of stromal lipids.