Band-3 crosslinking-induced targeting of mouse carrier erythrocytes

Mouse band-3 crosslinked carrier erythrocytes have been prepared. [125I]Carbonic anhydrase (CA) has been encapsulated into mouse erythrocytes. Then, loaded erythrocytes were labelled with 51Cr. Eventually, these doubly labelled cells were crosslinked with band-3 crosslinking reagents. [125I]CA was shown to have cytosolic localization in crosslinked carrier erythrocytes. Estimation of the action of band-3 crosslinkers on mouse carrier-erythrocyte membranes rendered values around 1721% of band-3 monomer reduction. Crosslinked carrier erythrocytes were in vivo targeted to liver, as shown by chromium-labelling localization. Also, encapsulated CA radioactivity was localized in vivo predominantly in liver, which is clearly in contrast with the behaviour shown by free CA injected into animals. These results support this model as a feasible system for the analysis of carrier-erythrocyte survival and targeting as well as the in vivo efficacy of release and targeting of encapsulated compounds.