Sickling in Vitro at Venous and Arterial Oxygen Tensions of Reticulocytes from Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 211; no. 2; pp. 504 - 510
• Main Authors: Onyike, A.E., Ohenefrempong, K., Horiuchi, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15-06-1995
• Subjects: Anemia, Sickle Cell - blood; Anemia, Sickle Cell - genetics; Cell Separation; Homozygote; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Kinetics; Oxygen - blood; Partial Pressure; Reticulocytes - metabolism; Reticulocytes - pathology; Time Factors
• DOI: 10.1006/bbrc.1995.1842
• EISSN: 1090-2104
• ISSN: 0006-291X

Sickling of reticulocytes and mature erythrocytes from patients with sickle cell disease was compared at venous and arterial oxygen tensions (PO
2 = 30 and 90 mm Hg). Reticulocyte-rich fractions (d < 1.06) were partially deoxygenated in two ways after incubation at PO
2 = 180 mm Hg: (1) PO
2 of 30 mm Hg for 1 hour, and reoxygenation to 90 mm Hg for 2 hours and (2) PO
2 of 90 mm Hg and kept for 2 hours. Percentages of sickled cells were always higher (3 - 5 times) in reticulocytes than in mature erythrocytes. Percentage of sickled reticulocytes measured at PO
2 = 90 mm Hg after partial deoxygenation to PO
2 = 30 mm Hg was 2 times higher than that obtained directly at PO
2 = 90 mm Hg. In contrast, there was no difference in percentage of sickled cells in the mature erythrocyte population under the two experimental conditions. These results suggest that reticulocytes are more susceptible to sickling under venous oxygen tension and less likely than mature erythrocytes to resume discoidal shape even at arterial oxygen tension.