Action of pentoxifylline on cytosolic calcium and on the erythrocytic morphology during ageing

Abstract

Cytosolic calcium is an important parameter of cell functionality and its concentration is determined by homeostatic mechanisms which are ATP dependent. When an energetic depletion occurs, as in the case of ischaemia, uncontrolled accumulation of ion in the cytosol, with a reduction of membrane deformability, and the modification of the physiologic shape of erythrocyte can be noted. Pentoxifylline has a rheological effect acting on energetic metabolism of red cells. Our objective was to verify the action of pentoxifylline on calcium concentration and on the erythrocytic morphology of cell ageing. We used as ageing model the conservation of blood in vitro: 3 blood samples (from 6 taken by 8 normal subjects), have been incubated with pentoxifylline (1.4×10⁻⁴M). We dosed cytosolic calcium and evaluated cell morphology in 2 samples (with and without pentoxifylline) in basal conditions, after 4 and after 8 hours of conservation at 37°C. Dosage of intraerythrocytic calcium was made with FURA2-AM (Calbiochem) according to the David-Dufilho method. Erythrocytic morphology was evaluated with an optical microscope following the Zipursky method. Results showed a reduction of the increase of cytosolic calcium and a major conservation of the erythrocytic physiologic morphology in samples incubated with pentoxifylline after 4 and 8 hours in comparison with control samples. These observations confirm that pentoxifylline delays uncontrolled accumulation of calcium which, in ageing, causes cell suffering and keeps its morphologic physiology for a longer time.