title: The role of Ca2+-dependent biochemical changes in the ageing process in normal red cells and in the development of irreversibly sickled cells.
abstract: During the ageing process of normal red cells and in the formation of irreversibly sickled cells (ISCs) there is a progressive increase in the intracellular concentration of Ca2+. This is parallelled by the development of a variety of morphological and biochemical changes in older fractions of normal cells and in ISCs which are similar to those seen in normal cells exposed to Ca2+ ionophore. These changes include cell shrinkage, loss of membrane lipid and degradation of cytoskeletal proteins and polyphosphoinositides. In this paper we consider the ways in which the Ca2+-dependent biochemical changes may be related to the morphological alterations which are characteristic of ageing and irreversible sickling.
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000097:blood*; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000097:blood; D010455:Peptides / Q000097:blood; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D002118:Calcium