Susceptibility of oxidative stress on red blood cells exposed to gamma rays: hemorheological evaluation

Irradiation has been shown to induce biochemical changes in stored red blood cells (RBCs) and to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study evaluated the hemorheological properties, the degree of lipid peroxidation and the oxidative susceptibility of irradiated RBCs. Furthermore, we investigated the radioprotective role of N-t-butyl hydroxylamine (NtBHA) against gamma-ray exposure of RBCs. RBC concentrates were irradiated with a minimum dose of 25 Gy, and were exposed to FeSO4 to examine the oxidative susceptibility. RBC deformability was evaluated by the use of a microfluidic ektacytometer, in relation to the hematological and biochemical properties. The deformability of the irradiated RBCs was significantly lower than that of control. Exposure to gamma rays significantly increased the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and lipid peroxidation. Changes in RBC deformability were more prominent in irradiated RBCs than in non-irradiated RBCs also under conditions of oxidative stress. The deformability of NtBHA treated RBCs prior to irradiation was not altered as compared with irradiated RBCs not treated with NtBHA. In conclusion, irradiation reduces RBC deformability during storage and the irradiated RBCs seem susceptible to oxidative stress. NtBHA may not have a protective role against the effects of gamma-ray exposure in RBCs but further evaluation of NtBHA or another radioprotective compound is required.