Effect of DIDS on osmotic properties of bovine erythrocytes

The effect of DIDS on osmotic properties of bovine erythrocytes was studied. The isoosmotic volume, the amount of intracellular solutes, and the osmotically non-active volume were not influenced by DIDS. An increase of osmotic fragility of erythrocytes upon DIDS treatment was evident and identical both in NaCl and in NaCl + KCl hypotonic solutions. These results suggest that the critical cell volume decreases. The link between the effect of DIDS on the membrane skeleton extractability and on the osmotic fragility was postulated.