Cited by 183Nitric Oxide and Endothelin EffectsRedox biology and oxidative stressHemoglobin structure and function

Human red blood cells at work: identification and visualization of erythrocytic eNOS activity in health and disease

Open access
Cortese-Krott, Miriam M., Rodriguez-Mateos, Ana, Sansone, Roberto, Kuhnle, Gunter G. C., Thasian-Sivarajah, Sivatharsini, Krenz, Thomas, Horn, Patrick, Krisp, Christoph +6 more·2012·Blood

Abstract

A nitric oxide synthase (NOS)–like activity has been demonstrated in human red blood cells (RBCs), but doubts about its functional significance, isoform identity and disease relevance remain. Using flow cytometry in combination with the nitric oxide (NO)–imaging probe DAF-FM we find that all blood cells form NO intracellularly, with a rank order of monocytes > neutrophils > lymphocytes > RBCs > platelets. The observation of a NO-related fluorescence within RBCs was unexpected given the abundance of the NO-scavenger oxyhemoglobin. Constitutive normoxic NO formation was abolished by NOS inhibition and intracellular NO scavenging, confirmed by laser-scanning microscopy and unequivocally validated by detection of the DAF-FM reaction product with NO using HPLC and LC-MS/MS. Using immunoprecipitation, ESI-MS/MS-based peptide sequencing and enzymatic assay we further demonstrate that human RBCs contain an endothelial NOS (eNOS) that converts L-3H-arginine to L-3H-citrulline in a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent fashion. Moreover, in patients with coronary artery disease, red cell eNOS expression and activity are both lower than in age-matched healthy individuals and correlate with the degree of endothelial dysfunction. Thus, human RBCs constitutively produce NO under normoxic conditions via an active eNOS isoform, the activity of which is compromised in patients with coronary artery disease.

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Crossref · 10.1182/blood-2012-07-442277

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  • The red blood cell expresses a functional eNOS that contributes in part to systemic blood pressure responses.

    “a number of recent studies using chimeric cross bone marrow transplant mouse models have shown that the red blood cell also expresses a functional eNOS that contributes in part to systemic blood pressure responses”
  • NOS in RBCs is a catalytically active eNOS (NOS3 type 1) identical to endothelial eNOS.

    “Recently, the NOS in RBCs was identified as a catalytically active eNOS (NOS3 type 1), which is identical to the eNOS expressed in endothelium, as assessed by immunoprecipitation and liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy (40), and confirmed by others through the analysis of conversion of L-15N-arginine into L-15N-citrulline (52).”
  • According to basic science studies, RBCs may control systemic hemodynamics by influencing blood rheological properties and contribute to tissue protection and cardiovascular homeostasis.

    “Additionally, according to basic science studies, RBCs may control systemic hemodynamics by influencing blood rheological properties and contribute to tissue protection and cardiovascular homeostasis (40, 73, 82).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [34]34. Bähmer A, Beckmann B, Sandmann J, et al. Doubts concerning functional endothelial nitric oxide synthase in human erythrocytes. Blood 2012;119(5):1322-1323.

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Authors
Cortese-Krott, M. M., Rodriguez-Mateos, A., Sansone, R., Kuhnle, G. G. C., Thasian-Sivarajah, S., Krenz, T., Horn, P., Krisp, C., Wolters, D., Heiß, C., Kröncke, K.-D., Hogg, N., Feelisch, M., & Kelm, M.
Affiliations
  • Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
  • Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom;
  • University of Reading (GB)
  • Ruhr University Bochum (DE)
  • Medical College of Wisconsin (US)
  • Southampton General Hospital (GB)
Venue
Blood
Published
2012-11-15
Volume
120
Issue
20
Pages
4229-4237
ISSN
  • 0006-4971 (ISSN-L)
  • 1528-0020
OpenAlex
W1968569934
Cited by
183
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 16
FWCI
9.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Blood (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
  • Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Redox biology and oxidative stress
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Hemoglobin structure and function
Keywords
erythrocytes, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide production, coronary artery disease, endothelial dysfunction, nitric oxide scavenging, oxyhemoglobin
MeSH terms
Adult, Amino Acid Sequence, Arginine, Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid, Citrulline, Coronary Artery Disease, Endothelium, Vascular, Erythrocytes, Flow Cytometry, Fluoresceins, Fluorescent Dyes, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Nitric Oxide, Oxyhemoglobins, Mass Spectrometry, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Microscopy, Confocal, NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester, Sequence Analysis, Protein, Immunoprecipitation, Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III

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