| Summary: | Objectives: Reduced deformability of red blood cells (RBC) plays an important role in etiology of various diseases including cardiovascular. The nitric oxide (NO) was identified as one of factors responsible for maintenance of RBC deformability. Reduced bioavailability of NO might be important in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of present study was to determine the effect of hypertension and aging on RBC deformability and NO production of experimental animals.
Methods: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were divided into 6 groups according to age (7, 20 and 52 weeks) and strain: SHR-7, SHR-20, SHR-52 and WKY-7, WKY-20, WKY-52. Blood was used for determination of RBC deformability using filtration method and NO production in RBCs using fluorescent NO probe DAF-2 DA.
Results: We found reduced deformability at WKY-52 and SHR-52 as compared to strain- matched 20-week-old animals. Strain-related differences in deformability were observed at 7 and 52 weeks of age, where the SHR-7 had reduced deformability and the SHR-52 had increased deformability as compared to age-matched WKY. We have found that at younger age, deformability and NO production in RBCs was able to increase, while in the older age there was a decrease in both parameters.
Conclusions: Changes in the RBC deformability under hypertensive conditions are unlikely to be related to changes in NO production. On the other hand, age-related changes in deformability of both, WKY and SHR are at least partially associated with changes in NO production. Supported by grants VEGA 1/0032/14 and Slovak Society of Cardiology.
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