Involvement of membrane tubulin in erythrocyte deformability and blood pressure

AMAIDEN MR; MONESTEROLO NE; SANTANDER VS; CAMPETELLI AN; ARCE CA; PIE-JUSTE J; HOPE SI; VATTA MS; CASALE CH

JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION

LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS

Lugar: Philadelphia; Año: 2012 vol. 30 p. 1414 - 1422

0263-6352

Objective: To test the hypothesis that erythrocytedeformability is influenced by changes in the content ofmembrane tubulin (Mem-tub).Methods and results: Human erythrocytes containtubulin distributed in three pools (membrane,sedimentable, soluble). Erythrocytes from hypertensivehumans have a higher proportion of Mem-tub. IncreasedMem-tub content in hypertensive patients was correlatedwith decreased erythrocyte deformability. Treatment oferythrocytes from normotensive individuals with taxolincreased Mem-tub content and reduced deformability,whereas treatment of hypertensive patients erythrocyteswith nocodazole had the opposite effect. In-vivoexperiments with rats were performed to examine thepossible relationship between Mem-tub content,erythrocyte deformability, and blood pressure.Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) showed lowererythrocyte deformability than normotensive Wistar rats.During the development of hypertension in SHR, tubulin inerythrocytes is translocated to the membrane, and thisprocess is correlated with decreased deformability. In-vivotreatment (intraperitoneal injection) of SHR withnocodazole decreased Mem-tub content, increasederythrocyte deformability, and decreased blood pressure,whereas treatment of Wistar rats with taxol had theopposite effects.Conclusion: These findings indicate that increasedMem-tub content contributes to reduced erythrocytedeformability in hypertensive animals.