Cyclic Mechanical Stresses Alter Erythrocyte Membrane Composition and Microstructure and Trigger Macrophage Phagocytosis.

ABSTRACT: Red blood cells (RBCs) are cleared from the circulation when they become damaged or display aging signals targeted by macrophages. This process occurs mainly in the spleen, where blood flows through submicrometric constrictions called inter-endothelial slits (IES), subjecting RBCs to large-amplitude deformations. In this work, RBCs are circulated through microfluidic devices containing microchannels that replicate the IES. The cyclic mechanical stresses experienced by the cells affect their biophysical properties and molecular composition, accelerating cell aging. Specifically, RBCs quickly transition to a more spherical, less deformable phenotype that hinders microchannel passage, causing hemolysis. This transition is associated with the release of membrane vesicles, which self-extinguish

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Herreros A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9284186 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature