title: Changes in the intracellular Ca2+ content in human red blood cells in the presence of glycerol.
abstract: Changes of the intracellular Ca2+ content in human red blood cells (RBCs) in glycerol-containing solutions and after freeze-thawing the cells with glycerol and subsequent deglycerolization were investigated with the Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye fluo-4 using fluorescence microscopy. In the glycerol-containing solutions the Ca2+ content increased when compared with a physiological medium (Hepes buffered saline solution (HBSS)). This effect was most likely a result of an inhibition of the Ca2+ pump. After inhibiting the Ca2+ pump using o-vanadate, the Ca2+ uptake was not significantly different in the cells in glycerol-containing and physiological medium. Freeze-thawing and deglycerolization of RBCs resulted in a more pronounced increase in the Ca2+ content. Also in this case, the Ca2+ pump seemed to play a major role.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, Faculty of Natural and Technical Sciences III, University of the Saarland, Saarbruecken, Germany. o.kofanova@gmail.com
authors.forename: Olga A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Kofanova
authors.forename: Nina G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Zemlyanskikh
authors.forename: Lyubomira
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.forename: Ingolf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bernhardt
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D005615:Freezing; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007185:Incubators; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008353:Mannitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014638:Vanadates / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008353:Mannitol; D014638:Vanadates; D005990:Glycerol; D002118:Calcium