It has been hypothesized that the well-known decreased deformability of oxygenated sickle (HbSS) RBCs could result from auto-oxidative perturbation. Density separated RBCs from steady-state HbSS subjects and normal HbAA donors were incubated in PBS/glucose for 60 min. with 0, 100 and 1000 micromol phenazine methosulpate (PMS). To examine the effects of oxidative stress, we used a micropore filtration system to measure deformability of density separated RBC subpopulations. The Cell Transit Analyser (CTA) provides a means to rapidly measure the deformability of large numbers of individual cells. For the same RBC samples, the superoxide-dependent reduction of horse ferricytochrom c was also detacted. Salient findings were: 1) significantly decreased deformability of SS RBC; 2) higher spontaneous superoxide radical generation by sickle erythrocytes; 3) significantly greater superoxide production for SS RBC at both PMS concentrations; 4) denser cells are more rigid and produce more superoxide radicals.
Our results indicate that SS cells are more sensitive than AA cells to oxidative stress and that subpopulations respond differently; they support the concept that oxidative mechanisms play an important role not only in abnormal rheology of SS RBC but in cell aging as well.
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Novak, Z., Kovacs, J., Vd Waart, F. et al. Superoxide Production and Deformability of Erythrocytes in Sickle Cell Disease 789. Pediatr Res 43 (Suppl 4), 137 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199804001-00810
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199804001-00810