Microrheological responses of red blood cells to gaseous mediators under physiological and pathophysiological conditions

A.Muravyov, P.Mikhailov, I. Tikhomirova, S.Bulaeva, V. Zinchuk, R. Ostroumov

Abstract: The aim was to study the microrheological responses of red blood cells (RBCs) to nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide as gasotransmitters (GT) in healthy individuals and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2T). Healthy individu-als with different a maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) were divided into two groups: group 1 - VO2max of 40-50 ml/kg/min, n = 18, and group 2 - 51-65 ml/kg/min, n = 18. Group of DM-2T patients (group 3, n = 18). The washed RBCs were incubated with: 1) sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 100 mM), 2) sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, 100 mM); 3) ODQ, (0.5 µM), 4) glibenclamide (GC, 50 µM). 5) Only in Ringer's solution (without drug) - control samples. After cell incubation with these compounds the RBC deformability (RBCD) and aggregation (RBCA) were recorded. It was found that in group 2 RBCD was 5.4% (p <0.05) more than in group 1, and their aggregation was 17% less (p <0.01). In individuals with DM-2T, RBCD was reduced by 6% compared with the data of the group 1, and aggrega-tion was increased by 31% (p <0.01). In healthy individuals, both GT donors markedly increased RBCD and de-creased RBCA. However, these microrheological responses were significantly greater
in group 2. In persons with diabetes, these cellular alterations to GT donors were somewhat lower than in healthy in-dividuals. Inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase with ODQ showed that the NO associated signalling cascade is in-volved in RBC microrheological responses to both GT. Whereas blocking the K+-ATP channels with glibenclamide did not significantly change the RBC microrheological responses. RBC microrheological responses to GT donors allow us to conclude that: firstly, these GT have a positive effect on the RBC microrheology of all three groups; secondly, RBCs of persons with higher VO2max are more sensitive to GT donors.

Series on Biomechanics, Vol.36 No.1 (2022), 21-31
DOI: 10.7546/SB.03.2022

Keywords: aggregation; deformability; gasotransmitters; hemorheological profile; hydrogen sul-phide; nitrogen oxide; Oxygen transport; red blood cells; type 2 diabetes mellitus

Date published: 2022-04-12