OxyFile #544

Does Ozone Change the Erythrocyte Function?

Effects of oxidative stress on erythrocyte deformability and 
fragility.

Serdar Caglayan, Rainer Bayer

Heinrich Ehine University
Department of Laser Medicine
P.O. Box 101007
40001 Dusseldorf, Germany

Abstract:

Most methods established so far to estimate RBC deformability are hard 
to standardize and include high error of measurement.  For our present 
investigation on the effects of oxygen (O2) and ozone (O3) on red 
blood cell (RBC) deformability we used the method of laser diffraction 
in combination of image analysis.

Exposure to O2 neither altered RBC deformability nor induced 
hemolysis.  After adding O3, hemolysis (up to 2.3 g% free hemoglobin) 
was observed, but deformability did not change.  Using very high 
concentrations (>/- 160 ug/ml O3) deformability decreased in a 
concentration dependent manner.  When the antioxidant catalase 
mechanism of the RBC was inhibited with azide (1 mM), O2 did not 
affect RBC deformability, but was considerably reduced by O3 as well 
as by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

After exposing RBC to O2 and/or O3 mechanical fragility was 
investigated by filtration of the RBC suspensions (hematocrit 5%) 
through 3 um pore filter under pressure of 200 mmHg.  Fragility 
remained unchanged after oxygenation.  Astonishingly O3 in 
concentration >/- 7 ug/ml improved mechanical fragility (decrease of 
hemolysis after mechanical stress).