Erythrocyte injury such as osmotic shock, oxidative stress or energy depletion stimulates the formation of prostaglandin E2 through activation of cyclooxygenase which in turn activates a Ca2+ permeable cation channel. Increasing cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations activate Ca2+ sensitive K+ channels leading to hyperpolarization, subsequent loss of KCl and (further) cell shrinkage. Ca2+ further stimul...

BACKGROUND Protein 4.1R is an important component of the red cell membrane skeleton. It imparts structural integrity and has transmembrane signaling roles by direct interactions with transmembrane proteins and other membrane skeletal components, notably p55 and calmodulin. DESIGN AND METHODS Spontaneous and ligation-induced phosphatidylserine exposure on erythrocytes from two patients with 4....

BACKGROUND The nitrogen mustard derivative of estradiol-17β-phosphate estramustine is used for the treatment of prostate cancer. Estramustine may trigger suicidal death of cancer cells. Side effects of estramustine include anemia. At least in theory, estramustine could cause anemia by stimulation of eryptosis, the suicidal death of erythrocytes. Hallmarks of eryptosis include cell shrinkage, in...

OBJECTIVE Endothelial microparticles (EMP) are released from activated or apoptotic cells, but their effect on target cells and the exact way of incorporation are largely unknown. We sought to determine the uptake mechanism and the biological effect of EMP on endothelial and endothelial-regenerating cells. METHODS AND RESULTS EMP were generated from starved endothelial cells and isolated by u...

UNLABELLED background: Mitotane (1,1-dichloro-2-[o-chlorophenyl]-2-[p-chlorophenyl]ethane), a cytostatic drug used for the treatment of adrenocortical carcinomas, is effective by triggering tumor cell apoptosis. In analogy to apoptosis of nucleated cells, eryptosis is the suicidal death of erythrocytes, which is typically paralleled by cell shrinkage and breakdown of cell membrane phosphatidyls...

The effect of activated human platelets in intrinsic factor X activation was compared with their effect in prothrombin activation. Compared with unstimulated platelets, platelets triggered by the combined action of collagen plus thrombin showed a tenfold activity increase in prothrombin activation, and a 20-fold rate enhancement in factor X activation. Treatment of collagen plus thrombin-stimul...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Recent observations in end-stage renal disease (ESRD)-patients on hemodialysis revealed that anemia is, in part, due to stimulated suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis leading to accelerated clearance of circulating erythrocytes. The present study explored whether eryptosis is similarly enhanced in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). METHODS Measurements were made in fres...

OBJECTIVES Combining vorinostat, L-asparaginase, and doxorubicin (Dox) led to improved response rates in the treatment of lymphoid tumors. However, deep-vein thrombosis has been noted as one of the most serious side effects with these drugs, and how these regimens cause deep-vein thrombosis is unclear. METHODS We investigated the procoagulant effects of vorinostat, L-asparaginase, and doxorub...