Abstract

HERLAX, Vanesa; VAZQUEZ, Romina; MATE, Sabina  and  BAKAS, Laura. Eryptosis, suicidal erythrocyte death: mechanism and related diseases. Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2011, vol.45, n.2, pp.287-296. ISSN 0325-2957.

Similar to the apoptosis of nucleated cells, suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis is characterized by cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing and membrane phospholipid scrambling with phosphatidylserine exposure at the cell surface. A wide variety of drugs, enviromental contaminants, endogenous substances, clinical conditions and diseases trigger the eryptosis process. Examples presented include cations like Hg⁺², Cd⁺², sepsis, haemolytic uremic syndrome, Wilson's disease and phosphate depletion, among others. This procces is stimulated by the activation of ionic channels and the formation of ceramide, triggering the activation of a complex signaling pathway. Injuries originating eryptosis and the molecules involved in the signaling of this process may be also involved in the regulation of apoptosis, so, in both cases, the signal transduction pathway may be the same. For these reasons, the results from the analysis of eryptosis may be potentially used as a model of the pathogenesis of nucleated cells.

Keywords : Eryptosis; Programmed cell death; Phosphatidylserine; Sphingomyelinase; Intracellular calcium.

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