title: N-acetylcysteine improves the quality of red blood cells stored for transfusion.
abstract: Storage inflicts a series of changes on red blood cells (RBC) that compromise the cell survival and functionality; largely these alterations (storage lesions) are due to oxidative modifications. The possibility of improving the quality of packed RBC stored for transfusion including N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the preservation solution was explored. Relatively high concentrations of NAC (20-25 mM) were necessary to prevent the progressive leakage of hemoglobin, while lower concentrations (≥2.5 mM) were enough to prevent the loss of reduced glutathione during the first 21 days of storage. Peroxiredoxin-2 was also affected during storage, with a progressive accumulation of disulfide-linked dimers and hetero-protein complexes in the cytosol and also in the membrane of stored RBC. Although the presence of NAC in the storage solution was unable to avoid the formation of thiol-mediated protein complexes, it partially restored the capacity of the cell to metabolize H2O2, indicating the potential use of NAC as an additive in the preservation solution to improve RBC performance after transfusion.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Enzimología, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amen
authors.affiliation: Cátedra y Departamento de Medicina Transfusional, Hospital de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Machin
authors.affiliation: Departamento Básico de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Touriño
authors.affiliation: Cátedra y Departamento de Medicina Transfusional, Hospital de Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica Biológica, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay; Center for Free Radical and Biomedical Research, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, 11100 Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denicola
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Enzimología, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay; Center for Free Radical and Biomedical Research, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, 11100 Montevideo, Uruguay. Electronic address: lthomson@fcien.edu.uy.
authors.forename: Leonor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000379:methods*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D000111:Acetylcysteine
keywords: Glutathione; N-acetylcysteine; Oxidative stress; Packed red blood cells; Peroxiredoxin-2; Thiol homeostasis