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Iron is an essential chemical element for human life. However, in some pathological conditions, such as hereditary hemochromatosis type 1 (HH1), iron overload induces the production of reactive oxygen species that may lead to lipid peroxidation and a change in the plasma-membrane lipid profile. In this study, we investigated whether iron overload interferes with the Na,K-ATPase activity of the plasma membrane by studying erythrocytes that were obtained from the whole blood of patients suffering from iron overload. Additionally, we treated erythrocytes of normal subjects with 0.8 mM H2O2 and 1 μM FeCl3 for 24 h. We then analyzed the lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and Na,K-ATPase activity of plasma membranes derived from these cells. Iron overload was more frequent in men (87.5%) than in women and was associated with an increase (446%) in lipid peroxidation, as indicated by the amount of the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and an increase (327%) in the Na,K-ATPase activity in the plasma membrane of erythrocytes. Erythrocytes treated with 1 μM FeCl3 for 24 h showed an increase (132%) in the Na,K-ATPase activity but no change in the TBARS levels. Iron treatment also decreased the cholesterol and phospholipid content of the erythrocyte membranes and similar decreases were observed in iron overload patients. In contrast, erythrocytes treated with 0.8 mM H2O2 for 24 h showed no change in the measured parameters. These results indicate that erythrocytes from patients with iron overload exhibit higher Na,K-ATPase activity compared with normal subjects and that this effect is specifically associated with altered iron levels.

Hydroxyurea (HU) is used as a therapy in sickle cell anemia (SCA). Many studies have established that HU improves patient quality of life by reducing symptoms. However, the effect of HU on erythrocytes is not well-described. We evaluated several parameters related to oxidative stress and total lipid content of erythrocytes in patients with SCA. The patient cohort consisted of 7 SCA patients treated with HU, 17 untreated SCA patients, and 15 healthy subjects. Erythrocytes from patients with SCA displayed increased oxidative stress relative to the control group, including higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), Fe3+ content, and osmotic fragility, and decreased total cholesterol. We observed that treatment of SCA patients with HU increased Fe3+ content and activity of glutathione peroxidase, and decreased glutathione reductase activity, glutathione levels, total cholesterol, and phospholipid content comaperaded to patients untreated with HU. Thus, HU alters biochemical characteristics of erythrocytes; future studies will determine whether they are beneficial or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]