Red blood cell micromechanical responses to hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide donors: Analysis of crosstalk of two gasotransmitters (H2S and NO)

A.V. Muravyov, N. Antonova, I.A.Tikhomirova

Abstract: There is evidence that gasotransmitters (NO, CO and H2S) positively affects red blood cell (RBC) microrheology. The purpose of the study was to investigate some intracellular mechanisms of two gasotransmitters (GT) donors: sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and hydrogen hydrosulfide (NaHS). RBC deformability (RBCD) and their aggregation (RBCA) were recorded after cell incubation with: 1) NO donor – sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 100 M); 2) hydrogen sulphide donor – sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, 100 M); 3) methylene blue (MB, 50 M); 4) inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase (ODQ, 0.5 μM); 5) glibenclamide, as K+ATP channel blocker (50 M); 6) NOS inhibitor (L-NAME, 200 μM); 7) genesteine (10 μM). It was found that GT donors increased RBCD (p <0.05) and also decreased RBCA (p <0.01). Glibenclamide did not remove the RBCD rise nor the RBCA reduction under the influence of either GT donor. However MB or ODQ completely eliminated the positive effect of both GT on RBCD and significantly limited RBCA. With inhibition of the NOS was shown that the donor H2S, NaHS did not significantly change the RBCD and RBCA. Taken together, the data suggest that both GT use NO-mediated intracellular signaling pathway in their microrheological actions.


Series on Biomechanics, Vol.33, No. 2(2019), 34 - 40

Keywords: aggregation; deformability; Erythrocytes (RBCs); gasotransmitters; hydrogen sulfide (H2S); nitrogen oxide (NO); sodium hydrosulfide; sodium nitroprusside

Date published: 2019-07-17