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Human Red Blood Cell (RBC) Deformability and Low Oxygen Tension‐induced ATP Release Can be Increased by the Rho kinase Inhibitor, Y27632
Author(s) -
Thuet Kelly,
Bowles Elizabeth,
Sridharan Meera,
Adderley Shaquria,
Sprague Randy,
Stephenson Alan
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.815.5
Diamide stiffens RBCs by cross linking cytoskeletal proteins. We showed previously that diamide decreases low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release from RBCs, providing evidence for a link between RBC deformation and ATP release in response to this stimulus. Rho kinase has been shown to stiffen non‐erythroid cells and to phosphporylate cytoskeletal proteins within the RBC. Rho kinase may stabilize RBC cytoskeletal‐membrane interactions. We hypothesized that in RBCs, rho kinase decreases deformability and low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release. Here, we examined the effects of the rho kinase inhibitor, Y27632 on RBC deformability and low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release. When incubated for 30 minutes with Y27632 (1uM), RBC deformability was increased (p<0.05, n=9), and low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release was increased (p<0.01, n=13). To determine whether inhibition of rho kinase could rescue diamide‐mediated decreases in RBC deformability and low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release, we exposed diamide (100uM) treated RBCs to Y27632 (1uM). We found that diamide decreased RBC deformation (n=1) and low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release (n=4) similarly in the absence or presence of Y27632. These findings suggest that rho kinase functions within the RBC cytoskeleton and inhibition of rho kinase increases deformability and low oxygen tension‐induced ATP release in untreated, but not diamide treated RBCs.