Partner: P. Swietach


Recent publications
1.Rabcuka J., Błoński S., Meli A., Sowemimo-Coker S., Zaremba D., Stephenson D., Dzieciatkowska M., Nerguizian D., Cardigan R., Korczyk P.M., Smethurst P.A., D’Alessandro A., Swietach P., Metabolic reprogramming under hypoxic storage preserves faster oxygen unloading from stored red blood cells, Blood Advances, ISSN: 2473-9529, DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022007774, Vol.6, No.18, pp.5415-5428, 2022
Abstract:

Stored red blood cells (RBCs) incur biochemical and morphological changes, collectively termed the storage lesion. Functionally, the storage lesion manifests as slower oxygen unloading from RBCs, which may compromise the efficacy of transfusions where the clinical imperative is to rapidly boost oxygen delivery to tissues. Recent analysis of large real-world data linked longer storage with increased recipient mortality. Biochemical rejuvenation with a formulation of adenosine, inosine, and pyruvate can restore gas-handling properties, but its implementation is impractical for most clinical scenarios. We tested whether storage under hypoxia, previously shown to slow biochemical degradation, also preserves gas-handling properties of RBCs. A microfluidic chamber, designed to rapidly switch between oxygenated and anoxic superfusates, was used for single-cell oxygen saturation imaging on samples stored for up to 49 days. Aliquots were also analyzed flow cytometrically for side-scatter (a proposed proxy of O2 unloading kinetics), metabolomics, lipidomics, and redox proteomics. For benchmarking, units were biochemically rejuvenated at 4 weeks of standard storage. Hypoxic storage hastened O2 unloading in units stored to 35 days, an effect that correlated with side-scatter but was not linked to posttranslational modifications of hemoglobin. Although hypoxic storage and rejuvenation produced distinct biochemical changes, a subset of metabolites including pyruvate, sedoheptulose 1-phosphate, and 2/3 phospho-d-glycerate, was a common signature that correlated with changes in O2 unloading. Correlations between gas handling and lipidomic changes were modest. Thus, hypoxic storage of RBCs preserves key metabolic pathways and O2 exchange properties, thereby improving the functional quality of blood products and potentially influencing transfusion outcomes.

Keywords:

hypoxia, Hemanext, erythrocyte, hemoglobin, oxidative stress, microfluidics

Affiliations:
Rabcuka J.-other affiliation
Błoński S.-IPPT PAN
Meli A.-other affiliation
Sowemimo-Coker S.-other affiliation
Zaremba D.-IPPT PAN
Stephenson D.-other affiliation
Dzieciatkowska M.-other affiliation
Nerguizian D.-other affiliation
Cardigan R.-other affiliation
Korczyk P.M.-IPPT PAN
Smethurst P.A.-other affiliation
D’Alessandro A.-other affiliation
Swietach P.-other affiliation