To investigate the influence of oxidative stress on red blood cells (RBCs) transport in microvessels and capillaries of the blood microcirculation system, we studied their migration in narrow microchannels in a microfluidic device. We measured cells' velocities in the microchannels under the oxidative stress induced by tert-Butyl hydroperoxide at different concentrations and compared the results with a cytological evaluation of the cell membrane transformations. Oxidative stress caused changes in cells’ shape and volume, travelling velocity of the cells decreased and occlusions of microchannels occurred. The developed microfluidic device provided an ability to study microreology of RBCs under the action of hydroperoxide. In the future, such microfluidic analysis may be used to determine the changes in microrheology of RBCs from patients under the influence of xenobiotics.

The study of natural compounds, increasing endurance and (or) accelerating recovery, is the most important task of sports medicine and physiology. This paper presents the results of comparing the effects of decaffeinated green tea extract (GTE) and one of the endogenous products of amino acid metabolism, ammonia, which was tested as a solution of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) alone and in combination with GTE as a stimulator of physical performance. In a forced swimming model, the stimulating effect of NH4Cl was established, which exceeded the action of GTE. Multidirectional adaptive changes of some biochemical parameters of blood plasma and erythrocytes were revealed in rats using GTE and NH4Cl, as well as enhancing effect of combined application of these compounds on the performance of rats. A mechanism is proposed for optimizing the oxygen transport and shuttle function of erythrocytes by ammonium chloride under conditions of intense physical activity.

Apoptosis is a common mechanism of programmed cell death in virtually all nucleated cells. In spite of the fact that platelets and erythrocytes are the only enucleated cells in mammals they contain most of the apoptosis machinery of other cells and undergo similar apoptotic processes as nucleated cells except those connected with nuclear and chromatin transformation. Here we compare the mechanisms of platelet and erythrocytes apoptosis induced by different stimuli namely, stimulation ofthrombin and collagen receptor (T/C), inhibitor of BclX family proteins (ABT-373) for platelets, tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBH) and calcium ionophore (A-23187) for erythrocytes. Induction of platelet apoptosis by both methods (T/C and ABT-373) lead to strong phosphoetydilserine (PS) externalization, loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim), proteolytic cleavage of some cytoskeletal and regulatory proteins, and microparticle (MP) formation. However, there are clear differences between mechanisms of platelet apoptosis induced by TC and ABT-373. T/C induced apoptotic reaction is very fast (reach the maximum at 5 min), whereas ABT-373 induced reaction is more prolonged (first apoptotic evidence appears only after 30 min and reach the maximum after 3 hours). MP formation is much more pronounced in T/C than in ABT-373 stimulated platelets, whereas caspase 3 activation is much more stronger in ABT-373 than in T/C stimulated platelets. The main differences between these two apoptotic pathways are connected with aIIbp3 integrin, which activation appears only after T/C stimulation. For tBH experiments on erythrocytes we established optimal conditions (0.25x1012 cells/L, and strong, 1500 RPM stirring) for elucidation of apoptotic processes and found two independent ways of erythrocytes apoptotic processes; calcium independent, connected with met hemoglobin (metHb) formation (tBH stimulation), and calcium dependent pathway (A-23187 stimulation). Erythrocytes apoptosis induced by tBH is characterized by formation ofmetHb, cell shrinkage, fast (95 % during 3 hours) PS externalization, yield of hemoglobin, probably by vesicle (MP) formation. These cells are transformed to stomatocytes, become highly rigid, and could not be lysed even in pure water. All these reactions are calcium independent. Whereas increase of intracellular calcium concentration by A-23187 connected with formation of exinocytes, less pronounced (17 % during 3 h, 35 % during 15 h) PS externalization and rigidity (lysed in 50 mOsm buffer).

Activity of Na,K-ATPase (Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase, EC 3.6.3.9) in the whole erythrocytes was studied in dynamics of the complete rat alimentary starvation for 1, 3, 5, 7-8, and 10-12 days with water drinking ad libitum. There has been established a change of the erythrocyte Na,K-ATPase activity depending on the phase of starvation (the period connected with a certain level of metabolism). After the state on an empty stomach and adaptation to endogenous nutrition (the 0-I phase), from the 3rd to the 7-8th starvation day, the II phase, the period of compensated adaptation occurs (the euglycemia is preserved, the plateau level is preserved, the plateau level is achieved for protein loss and hormonal stimulation). Changes of the Na,K-ATPase activity level within the limits of the II phase were insignificant (p < 0.05), but loses of potassium content in plasma and erythrocytes have been from the 5th starvation day. The III phase (the 12-13th day) is the beginning of the terminal period and is characterized by a decrease of the Na,K-ATPase activity (the oubain-sensitive activity) and of Mg2+-ATPase (the oubain-independent activity), by a decrease of the plasma sodium level (prior to that, this level remained practically unchanged). Ad causes of the revealed decrease of the ATPase activities at the long-term starvation, there are considered aging of population of circulating erythrocytes (the absence of reticulocytes and young erythrocytes), depletion of cell energetic resources (hypoglycemia and glycopenia), effect of endogenous oubain, and endotoxemia.