Mechanisms and Pathophysiology of Red Cell Vesiculation (II)

  • Liu, Tsan-Zon (PI)

Project: Ministry of Health and WelfareMinistry of Health and Welfare Commission Research

Project Details

Abstract

During the last two years, our laboratories have made considerable progress toward the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of vesiculation in stored blood. We have gathered ample of evidence to support our hypothesis that oxidative damage to red cells (RBCs) can render these cells more susceptible to vesiculation. In the first fiscal year of this project (8-1-91 to 7-31-92), we have found that G6PD deficient RBCs are more susceptible to Ca/sup +2/-induced vesiculation. In addition, we have found that oxidant can directly induced vesiculation (FASEB 6 (5): A1764, 1992). During the current fiscal year (8-1-92 to present), we have focused our effort in two areas of research related to vesiculation, namely, to delineate how oxidative damage to human RBCs can enhance these cells more susceptible to vesiculation and to develop an effective "antioxidant cocktail" to prevent RBC vesiculation during storage. In our studies, we have found the Palladium (Pd) and Platinum (Pt), two potential environmental air pollutants from automobile catalytic converter, are potent oxidants. These two heavy metal ions can promote the formation of hydroxyl radicals, inhibit RBC enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, alter RBC membrane permeability as measured by K/sup +/ leak, affect RBC morphology as monitored by scanning EM, and decrease RBC deformability as indicated by laser diffraction patterns. We have also found that paraquat, a well known environmental pollutant, can produce similar effects on RBCs as the two heavy metal ions. Some of these effects are very similar to the effects that produced by CDNB as we recently reported (Exp Hematology 21: 114-118, 1993). Taken together, our findings suggest that oxidative damage to RBCs can grossly distort the membrane integrity leading to enhanced susceptibility to vesiculation. During the course of these studies, we have also developed 3 methods to detect the formation of hydroxyl radicals. (Several manuscripts are currently being prepared) Since oxidative damage to RBC may play a key role in RBC vesiculation during blood storage, we have investigated the possibility of using antioxidants to prevent RBC vesiculation during blood storage. We have used purified herbal ingredient alone as antioxidant. Preliminary results suggest that certain antioxidants may have some protective effect in preventing oxidant-induced RBC vesiculation during blood storage.

Project IDs

Project ID:PB8202-1045
External Project ID:CMRP-316
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date01/04/9231/03/93

Keywords

  • Vesiculation of red cell
  • Vesiculation inhibitors
  • Deformability measurement
  • Membrane protein reorganization

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