Jharna Ghosal

Oxidative damage of erythrocytes: a possible mechanism for premature hemolysis in experimental visceral leishmaniasis in hamsters

Abstract Visceral leishmaniasis is accompanied by severe anemia and pancytopenia. Reactive oxygen species are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of several red blood cell (RBCs) disorders. The present study reveals the extent of oxidative stress and the efficacy of the primary antioxidant system in erythrocytes of hamsters in the progressive anemic response at different stages of leishmanial infection. Increased intracellular precipitation of Heinz bodies secondary to oxidative denaturation of hemoglobin and enhanced formation of malonyldialdehyde suggest oxidative damage of erythrocytes, both in the hemoglobin and cell membrane, respectively. Decreased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the infected animals indicate the generation of O2* – and H2O2, which in turn may produce the highly reactive *OH species. Decreases in the reduced glutathione level along with the decreased activities of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase point to a deficient antioxidant defense system during the post-infection period. Accentuated degradation of both cytoskeletal and integral membrane proteins after 3 months of infection may eventually lead to membrane destabilization and early lysis of erythrocytes in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

Effect of erythropoietin on membrane lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase of rat RBC

Starved animals having low levels of erythropoietin in blood showed increased MDA, fluorescent pigments, and met-Hb values whereas the hemoglobin concentration decreased significantly on starvation. In vivo and in vitro studies with Ep reversed the effects of starvation and brought these values close to normal. The activities of the enzymes (SOD, catalase, GSH-PX, GR G6PD, and 6PGD) which protect the RBC membrane directly or indirectly from peroxidative threat, decreased on starvation and restored to normal levels after Ep treatment.

Lipid Peroxidation of Erythrocytes in Visceral Leishmaniasis

Lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes was studied in kala-azar patients having a considerable degree of anemia. Enhanced formation of oxidative metabolic products was observed in the erythrocytes of these patients. Decreased activities of the protective enzymes suggest impairment of the defense mechanism against peroxidative threat. These may contribute to some extent to the shortened lifespan of red cells in visceral leishmaniasis.

Lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes during anemia of the hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani

Visceral leishmaniasis has been found to be associated with severe anemia and premature lysis of erythrocytes. Peroxidative damage of red cells has been noted in several hemolytic anemias. Present study shows enhanced formation of methemoglobin in hamsters infected withLeishmania donovani. Increased formation of malonyldialdehyde and diene conjugate has been noted in the erythrocytes of the infected animals with the progress of anemia. Results showed decreased activities of protective enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione reductase against peroxidative attack. An increase in the membrane cholesterol/phospholipid ratio and a decrease in membrane fluidity of erythrocytes were observed under the diseased condition. Densitometric scan after SDS-PAGE of red cell membrane of the infected animals revealed significant degradation of band 3 and band 4.1 proteins. The results suggest that alteration in the membrane may lead to reduced life span of the red cells in experimental visceral leishmaniasis.

A novel galactosyl-binding lectin from the plasma of the blood clam, Anadara granosa (L) and a study of its combining site

The marine blood clam species Anadara granosa (L) belong to arcidae, a family with some extraordinary haematological features. The plasma of this species exhibited strong haemagglutinating activities, from which a galactosyl binding lectin, Anadarin P, was purified in a single step affinity chromatography using Sepharose 4B-asialofetuin as an affinity matrix. The purified lectin, eluted with lactose, was found to be homogeneous by alkaline polyacrylamide disc gels, gel-filtration and isoelectric focusing. Native Mr of the lectin was 130,000 having a PI value of 6.82 and was composed of two subunits of Mr 17,000 and Mr 16,000 which were noncovalently bound. The lectin was remarkably thermostable; the agglutinating titre remained unchanged over a wide range of pH (from 5 to 10) but increased with neuraminidase treated rabbit erythrocytes. Anadarin P combining site has been proposed to be small pocket-like structure which recognised only C-3 and C-4 hydroxyl groups of D-galactose. Presence of bulky groups at C-2 and C-6 exert strong steric hindrance as L-arabinose, 2-deoxy-D-galactose and D-xylose are better inhibitors than D-galactose. The lectin fails to differentiate methyl substituted galactosides as both α- and β- methyl galactosides are equally active; but in case of substituted phenyl glycosides, the lectin shows different affinity towards a and (3 anomers. The avidity of the lectin to bind the aromatic aglycons of galactosides suggests the presence of a hydrophobic region in the combining site. Interactions with some dissaccharides indicate the presence of an extended area near the monosaccharide binding site.

The role of calpain and calpastatin in the catabolism of erythrocyte-membrane proteins during anaemia in hamsters (Mesocricetus auretus ) infected with Leishmania donovani

Abstract The anaemia associated with visceral leishmaniasis is accompanied by altered Ca2+ homeostasis and degradation of the cytoskeletal and integral proteins of the erythrocytic membrane. In the present study, such changes were followed in hamsters that were anaemic as the result of their experimental infection with Leishmania donovani. At each stage of the infection, the blood concentration of haemoglobin was found to be negatively correlated with the concentration of Ca2+ (R2 = 0.91), the percentage of erythrocytes with Heinz bodies (R2 = 0.98) and thiol depletion (R2 = 0.96) in the erythrocytes. Calpain (Ca2+-activated protease; EC 3.4.22.17) and its natural inhibitor calpastatin are known to regulate the catabolism of membrane structural proteins. Densitometric scanning of SDS-PAGE gels showed that erythrocytic membranes from infected hamsters contained less calpain and calpastatin than those from control animals. The level of calpain autolysis was found to increase as the infection progressed. The addition of purified calpain (from control hamsters) to erythrocyte ghosts caused greater degradation of the membranes of erythrocytes from infected animals than of the corresponding membranes from control animals. Calpastatin from the control hamsters was more effective, at inhibiting calpain-induced membrane proteolysis, than calpastatin from the infected animals. The results indicate that the Ca2+-activated protease and its inhibitor are involved in the degradation of erythrocytic membranes observed during visceral leishmaniasis.

Combination of Ascorbate and α-Tocopherol as a Preventive Therapy against Structural and Functional Defects of Erythrocytes in Visceral Leishmaniasis

The redox unbalance in erythrocytes has been found to contribute significantly in the development of anemia in visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The present study revealed enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and gradual depletion of α-tocopherol and ascorbate in the erythrocytes of infected animals. The response of erythrocytes to chronic treatment with antioxidants was studied in hamsters during leishmanial infection. Treatment with a combination of α-tocopherol and ascorbate proved to be the most effective preventive for the proteolytic degradation of erythrocyte membrane. Erythrocytes from infected animals were thermally more sensitive compared to the control ones. Combination of both antioxidants was most successful in resisting heat induced structural defects in the cells. Cross-linking of membrane proteins subsequent to oxidative damage in the red cells was accompanied by the formation of high molecular weight protein band at the top of the resolving gel in the presence of the cross-linking agent dimethyladepimidate (DMA). Marked inhibition of cross-linking was observed with combination of both antioxidants. Treatment with α-tocopherol and ascorbate together could withstand osmotic lysis of erythrocytes in the infected animals very efficiently. Decreased hemoglobin (Hb) level was successfully replenished and was coupled with significant increase in the life span of red cells after treating the animals with both antioxidants. Results indicate better efficacy of the combination therapy with α-tocopherol and ascorbate in protecting the erythrocytes from structural and functional damages during leishmanial infection.

Anemia in experimental visceral leishmaniasis in hamsters.

Experimental infection of hamsters with Leishmania donovani caused visceral leishmaniasis in which hematological changes occurred. The infected hamsters were anemic and reticulocyte counts were high. No significant change in the serum erythropoietin level was noted. Red cell membrane Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase activities increased. Osmotic fragility of the erythrocytes from infected animals increased. The level of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate of the red cells increased with the degree of anemia.

Effect of erythropoietin on the glucose transport of rat erythrocytes and bone marrow cells

The effect of Ep on radioactive glucose and methyl-alpha-D-glucoside transport by rat erythrocytes and bone marrow cells were studied. There is initial linearity followed by saturation kinetics of [14C]glucose transport by the erythrocytes of starved and starved plus Ep-treated rats at different concentrations of glucose. Starvation caused slight inhibition of glucose transport which increased markedly on Ep administration to starved rats. Normal animals failed to show any significant change in glucose transport after Ep treatment. Methyl-alpha-D-glucoside inhibited the Ep-stimulated glucose transport significantly. Ep also stimulated the transport of radioactive methyl-alpha-D-glucoside which was competitively inhibited in presence of D-glucose. Glucose transport in erythrocytes was found to be sensitive to metabolic inhibitors like azide and DNP. A sulfhydryl reagent and ouabain also inhibited the transport process. Ep stimulated glucose and methyl-alpha-D-glucoside transport in the bone marrow cells of starved rats. The sugar analog competitively inhibited the glucose transport in bone marrow cells and vice versa.

Interaction of ascorbate and α-tocopherol enhances antioxidant reserve of erythrocytes during anemia in visceral leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis (V.L.) is associated with enhanced lipid peroxidation along with impaired function of antioxidant defense system in erythrocytes. The effect of chronic treatment with ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol was studied on erythrocytes in hamsters infected with Leishmania donovani. Combination treatment with both antioxidants proved to be a potential suppressor of lipid hydroperoxide formation as well as hypotonic osmotic lysis during the leishmanial infection. Positive correlations between the depleted levels of erythrocyte ascorbate, GSH and alpha-tocopherol exhibit proportionate alterations in the nonenzymatic antioxidant levels at different stages of infection. Indirect measurement of transmembrane electron transfer as ferricyanide reduction suggests an active participation of endogenous contents of ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol in the protection against oxidative damage of membrane lipids. Cooperative behavior of both antioxidants in the ferricyanide reducing capacity was further evinced by resealing the ghosts in presence of exogenous ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol. Furthermore, intravesicular ascorbate serves in the defense of extravesicular ferricyanide induced oxidation of endogenous alpha-tocopherol. The results suggest an interacting role of ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol in maintaining the antioxidant reserve of erythrocytes during anemia in V.L.