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Cardiovascular Research 2007 75(1):21-28; doi:10.1016/j.cardiores.2007.03.007
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Copyright © 2007, European Society of Cardiology

The microenvironment can shift erythrocytes from a friendly to a harmful behavior: Pathogenetic implications for vascular diseases

Maurizio Minettia,*, Luciano Agatic and Walter Malornib,*

aDepartment of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore Sanita', Rome, Italy
bDepartment of Drug Research and Evaluation, Section of Cell Aging and Degeneration, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
cDepartment of Cardiology, La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

* Corresponding authors. W. Malorni is to be contacted at tel.: +39 06 49902905; fax: +39 06 4990369. minetti{at}iss.it malorni{at}iss.it

Erythrocytes are peculiar cells aimed at the delivery of oxygen and nitric oxide to the periphery and carbon dioxide to the lungs. In addition, they also exert, under physiological conditions, a scavenging activity towards reactive oxygen and nitrogen species often over-produced in morbidity states, e.g. in inflamed tissues. Their deformability is essential for their circulation, specifically in small blood vessels, and this is an important pre-requisite for such vascular "antioxidant" functions. On the other hand, if the erythrocyte undergoes changes in its redox status, i.e. is not capable of counteracting the pro-oxidant status of the microenvironment, it becomes a source of reactive species and, consequently, its typical structural and functional features are lost. More importantly, the oxidatively modified red cell increases its aggregability and adhesiveness to the endothelium and to other blood cells, thus contributing to vascular damage. In line with recent data from the literature, erythrocytes can be proposed as bioindicators of progression in chronic or acute diseases characterized, as a hallmark, by oxidative alterations.

KEYWORDS AGEs; Advanced Glycation End products; NADH; reduced nicotinamide adenin dinucleotide; •NO; nitric oxide; NSAIDs; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; NF-kB; nuclear factor kappa B; RBCs; red blood cells; RONS; reactive oxygen and nitrogen species; SOD; superoxide dismutase.; Erythrocyte; Redox; Biomarkers; Vascular diseases; Vascular complications


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