High-pressure-induced hemolysis is characterized by release of membrane vesicles from human erythrocytes

Upon exposure of human erythrocytes to high pressures (0.1-200 MPa), hemolysis and vesiculation start to occur at about 140 MPa. At 200 MPa, the value of hemolysis is about 45%, and the diameter of released vesicles is about 460 nm. Furthermore, when transmembrane proteins are cross-linked with cytoskeletal ones using diamide, high-pressureinduced hemolysis is greatly suppressed. In this case, the diameter of vesicles is about 230 nm. These results suggest that high-pressure-induced hemolysis may be associated with the size of released vesicles.