title: Storing red blood cells with vitamin C and N-acetylcysteine prevents oxidative stress-related lesions: a metabolomics overview.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent advances in red blood cell metabolomics have paved the way for further improvements of storage solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we exploited a validated high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analytical workflow to determine the effects of vitamin C and N-acetylcysteine supplementation (anti-oxidants) on the metabolome of erythrocytes stored in citrate-phosphate-dextrose saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol medium under blood bank conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed decreased energy metabolism fluxes (glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway). A tentative explanation of this phenomenon could be related to the observed depression of the uptake of glucose, since glucose and ascorbate are known to compete for the same transporter. Anti-oxidant supplementation was effective in modulating the redox poise, through the promotion of glutathione homeostasis, which resulted in decreased haemolysis and less accumulation of malondialdehyde and oxidation by-products (including oxidized glutathione and prostaglandins).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-oxidants improved storage quality by coping with oxidative stress at the expense of glycolytic metabolism, although reservoirs of high energy phosphate compounds were preserved by reduced cyclic AMP-mediated release of ATP.
authors: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Pallotta
authors: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Federica
authors: F
authors: Gevi
authors: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: D'alessandro
authors: Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
authors: Lello
authors: L
authors: Zolla
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055442:Metabolome / Q000187:drug effects*; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D000111:Acetylcysteine