title: Binding of anti-spectrin antibodies to red blood cells and vesiculation in various in vivo and in vitro ageing conditions in the rat.
abstract: In this study, the binding of naturally occurring antibodies as well as of induced anti-spectrin antibodies to red blood cells (RBC), in relation with different ageing conditions, was investigated in the rat. RBC from aged animals, or from rats whose RBC were age-induced either by means of hypertransfusion (which blocks erythropoiesis) or by treatment with clodronate-containing liposomes (which reduces RBC removal from circulation), were used. Attainment of RBC ageing was demonstrated by MCV reduction and by an increase of both RBC density and 4.1a/4.1b RBC membrane protein ratio. The results demonstrate an augmented anti-spectrin antibody binding to RBC in relation with their ageing condition, especially when induced by hypertransfusion. The vesiculation process was also investigated and correlated with antibody binding: vesicles were found only in the plasma of clodronate-treated rats, whose RBC showed the lowest level of anti-spectrin antibody binding with respect to the other groups. In addition, RBC preserved in vitro in different media showed a binding of anti-spectrin antibody, which inversely correlated with the vesiculation process. On the whole, the latter results suggest a protective effect of vesicles towards IgG opsonization of aged RBC.
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Diagnostica, Sezione di Patologia Generale, Università di Ferrara, via L. Borsari, 46, 44100 Ferrara, Italy. a.giuliani@unife.it
authors: A L
authors: AL
authors: Giuliani
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Graldi
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Veronesi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Previato
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Simoni
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Bergamini
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Berti
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging / Q000276:immunology; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013049:Spectrin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D013049:Spectrin