Department of P h j s o l o g j , Onkerszty of Prt~nsylvn?~in, P6ilnde7pl~ia EIGHT FIGURES Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SUS), like other anionic detcrgents, is knouw to be an active protein denaturant and to have strong hemolytic powers, even at very low concerit rations (Putnam, '48). Since it is comparatively simple i n chemical structure and subject to no significant degree of hydrolysis, its hemolytic behaviour might be expected to be relatively simple. Such, however, is not the case. Early in the present investigation inany at first inexplicable irregularities of behaviour were encountered, sonic of the results obtained were in disagreement with those reported by other workers, and others were in themselves of a very unexpected character.
It is the purpose of the present paper to explain, in part, the reasons for the complex action of such an apparently simple hemolytic agent. At least three such rcasoiis can now be recognized. The first is the inadequacy in studies of this sort of the usual method of comparing the rates of hemolytic processes by measuring the times of attainment of some single, arbitrarily selected degree of heniolysis, whether complete or otherwise. The second i s the possibility of an ~111recognized effect of niinntc undissolved particles in concen-1 The detergents used in tliese experiments were kindly given to the author by Pvofessor Rudolf Hober. They iiicluded sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium tetradeeyl sulfate ohtaiiied from E. I. DuPont de Kenlours and Co. and sodium dodecyl sulfstc from the Chemiral Di-cision of Proctor aiid Gamhle.
aThis study was aided by x grant from the Corriniittre for the Advancement of Research of the ITnirersity of Pennsylrania.