title: Involvement of membrane tubulin in erythrocyte deformability and blood pressure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that erythrocyte deformability is influenced by changes in the content of membrane tubulin (Mem-tub).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Human erythrocytes contain tubulin distributed in three pools (membrane, sedimentable, soluble). Erythrocytes from hypertensive humans have a higher proportion of Mem-tub. Increased Mem-tub content in hypertensive patients was correlated with decreased erythrocyte deformability. Treatment of erythrocytes from normotensive individuals with taxol increased Mem-tub content and reduced deformability, whereas treatment of hypertensive patients erythrocytes with nocodazole had the opposite effect. In-vivo experiments with rats were performed to examine the possible relationship between Mem-tub content, erythrocyte deformability, and blood pressure. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) showed lower erythrocyte deformability than normotensive Wistar rats. During the development of hypertension in SHR, tubulin in erythrocytes is translocated to the membrane, and this process is correlated with decreased deformability. In-vivo treatment (intraperitoneal injection) of SHR with nocodazole decreased Mem-tub content, increased erythrocyte deformability, and decreased blood pressure, whereas treatment of Wistar rats with taxol had the opposite effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that increased Mem-tub content contributes to reduced erythrocyte deformability in hypertensive animals.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físico-Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, Río Cuarto, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marina R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amaiden
authors.forename: Noelia E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Monesterolo
authors.forename: Verónica S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Santander
authors.forename: Alexis N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Campetelli
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Arce
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pie
authors.forename: Sandra I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: Marcelo S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Vatta
authors.forename: Cesar H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Casale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014404:Tubulin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014404:Tubulin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D015739:Nocodazole