title: Red blood cells as a model to differentiate between direct and indirect oxidation pathways of peroxynitrite.
abstract: Red blood cells are the major physiological scavengers of reactive nitrogen species and have been proposed as real-time biomarkers of some vascular-related diseases. This chapter proposes that the erythrocyte is a suitable cell model for studying the modifications induced by peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite decays both extra- and intracellularly as a function of cell density and CO(2) concentration, inducing the appearance of distinct cellular biomarkers, as well as the modulation of signaling and metabolism. Intracellular oxidations are due mostly to direct reactions of peroxynitrite with hemoglobin but also lead to the appearance of apoptotic biomarkers. Surface/membrane oxidations are due principally to indirect radical reactions generated by CO(2)-catalyzed peroxynitrite homolysis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minetti
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pietraforte
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Straface
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metere
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matarrese
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Malorni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D030421:Peroxynitrous Acid