title: Increase in vulnerability to oxidative damage in cholesterol-modified erythrocytes exposed to t-BuOOH.
abstract: During the course of radical oxidation, cholesterol may exert seemingly contradictory effects. In order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between cholesterol levels and membrane susceptibility to oxidative damage induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), here we analyze the integrity and structural stability of cholesterol-modified (enriched or depleted) and unmodified (control) erythrocytes exposed to tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The oxidant significantly increased ROS production, with almost complete oxidation of hemoglobin and a reduction in GSH content in the different erythrocyte groups at 2 mM concentration. These changes were accompanied by losses of cholesterol and total phospholipids, the main decreases being in phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. The highest lipid loss was found in the cholesterol-depleted group. Fatty acid analyses revealed changes only in peroxidized cholesterol-modified erythrocytes, with decreases in linoleic and arachidonic acids. Fluorescence anisotropy studies showed an increase in the fluidity of the negatively charged surface of peroxidized control erythrocytes. Increased hemolysis and a positive correlation between cellular osmotic fragility and malondialdehyde contents were found in all peroxidized groups. These findings provide evidence that the modification of cholesterol levels in the erythrocyte membrane has provoking effects on peroxidation, with corresponding increases in oxidative damage in the treated cell, possibly as a consequence of lipid bilayer destabilization.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Salamanca, Plaza Doctores de la Reina s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Revuelta
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Gallego
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernández-Hernández
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Yagüe
authors.forename: Marcial
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Llanillo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009996:Osmotic Fragility / Q000187:drug effects; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C483858:phosphatidylethanolamine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D020122:tert-Butylhydroperoxide; D002784:Cholesterol