Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway

Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway

Nitric oxide (NO), an inorganic gas, acts as a potent second messenger in most animal and plant tissues. NO diffuses out of the cells that produce it and enters the neighboring cells to generate a downstream response. NO synthase (NOS) catalyzes NO production by the deamination of the amino acid arginine. There are three isoforms of NOS. Endothelial cells have endothelial NOS (eNOS), nerve and muscle cells have neuronal NOS (nNOS), and macrophages produce inducible NOS (iNOS) upon exposure...

Structure and Function of Erythrocytes

Structure and Function of Erythrocytes

There are between 4.2 and 6 million erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, in every microliter of blood. These cells are small, flattened biconcave discs with centers that are depressed.
The erythrocyte plasma membrane is associated with proteins such as spectrin, which forms a flexible cytoplasmic meshwork. This meshwork allows erythrocytes to twist, turn, become cup-shaped, and regain their biconcave shape as they pass through narrow capillaries. Additionally, erythrocytes can form...

Oxidation Numbers

Oxidation Numbers

In redox reactions, the transfer of electrons occurs between reacting species. Electron transfer is described by a hypothetical number called the oxidation number (or oxidation state). It represents the effective charge of an atom or element, which is assigned using a set of rules.

Lifecycle of Erythrocytes

Lifecycle of Erythrocytes

Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, constantly move through blood capillaries. As a result, they damage their plasma membrane due to the continuous friction. Typically, after 100 to 120 days, erythrocytes become rigid and fragile as they wear out. As they pass through small vessels in the spleen and liver, they can get trapped and break apart into fragments.
The resident phagocytic macrophages deal with these damaged cells by engulfing them and separating their globin and heme groups....

Disorders of Erythrocytes

Disorders of Erythrocytes

Disorders of erythrocytes, or red blood cells (RBCs), include a range of conditions affecting their number, shape, or function.
Erythrocyte disorders can be broadly categorized into two main types: anemic and polycythemic conditions.
A low oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the loss, lower production, or destruction of erythrocytes is termed anemia. Hemorrhagic anemia, for example, occurs when bleeding from an external wound or internal ulcer reduces erythrocyte counts.
On the other...

Pyruvate Oxidation

Pyruvate Oxidation

After glycolysis, the charged pyruvate molecules enter the mitochondria via active transport and undergo three enzymatic reactions. These reactions ensure that pyruvate can enter the next metabolic pathway so that energy stored in the pyruvate molecules can be harnessed by the cells.
First, the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase removes the carboxyl group from pyruvate and releases it as carbon dioxide. The stripped molecule is then oxidized and releases electrons, which are then picked up by NAD+...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Sensitive and specific methodology for detection of labile NO-ferroheme complexes in vitro and in blood.

Redox biology·2026

Same author

Dietary nitrate and nitrite protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiac fibrosis and oxidative protein damage in tumor-bearing mice.

FEBS open bio·2025

Same author

Role of hydrogen sulfide in catalyzing the formation of NO-ferroheme.

Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry·2025

Same author

Engineering a highly selective, hemoprotein-based scavenger as a carbon monoxide poisoning antidote with no hypertensive effect.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025

Same author

Dietary nitrate and nitrite protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiac fibrosis and oxidative protein damage in tumor-bearing mice.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Nitric oxide based therapies for peripheral artery disease: Evidence and opportunities.

Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity

Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity

Published on: June 18, 2012

Erythrocytes and Vascular Function: Oxygen and Nitric Oxide.

Christine C Helms¹, Mark T Gladwin^2,3, Daniel B Kim-Shapiro^4,5

¹Physics Department, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, United States.

Frontiers in Physiology

|March 10, 2018

Summary

Erythrocytes regulate blood flow by controlling oxygen delivery and nitric oxide (NO) levels. Hemoglobin within red blood cells acts as an oxido-reductase, promoting vasodilation when deoxygenated and vasoconstriction when oxygenated.

Keywords:

erythrocytes hemoglobin hemolysis hypoxic vasodilation nitric oxide nitrite

More Related Videos

Platelet-based Detection of Nitric Oxide in Blood by Measuring VASP Phosphorylation

Platelet-based Detection of Nitric Oxide in Blood by Measuring VASP Phosphorylation

Published on: January 7, 2019

En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries

En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries

Published on: February 25, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity

Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity

Published on: June 18, 2012

Platelet-based Detection of Nitric Oxide in Blood by Measuring VASP Phosphorylation

Platelet-based Detection of Nitric Oxide in Blood by Measuring VASP Phosphorylation

Published on: January 7, 2019

En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries

En Face Detection of Nitric Oxide and Superoxide in Endothelial Layer of Intact Arteries

Published on: February 25, 2016

Area of Science:

Physiology
Biochemistry
Vascular Biology

Background:

Erythrocytes (red blood cells) are crucial for oxygen transport and vascular tone regulation.
Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in vasodilation, and its balance is influenced by erythrocytes.
Hypoxic vasodilation involves erythrocyte-derived molecules, including NO and adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in regulating vascular function.
To characterize the mechanisms of nitric oxide (NO) generation and scavenging by hemoglobin.
To understand how erythrocyte-associated processes influence blood flow and vascular tone.

Main Methods:

Biochemical characterization of electron and proton transfer reactions involving hemoglobin and nitrite.
Physiological assessment of NO generation and scavenging by erythrocytes.
Analysis of hemoglobin's interaction with NO under varying oxygen conditions.

Main Results:

Hemoglobin acts as an oxido-reductase, generating NO from nitrite during deoxygenation.
Oxygenated hemoglobin scavenges NO, leading to vasoconstriction, an effect amplified by cell-free hemoglobin.
Erythrocyte compartmentalization of hemoglobin is vital for preventing NO scavenging and maintaining vascular health.

Conclusions:

Erythrocytes actively regulate vascular tone through hemoglobin's dual role in NO metabolism.
Proper functioning of erythrocytes is essential for preventing vasoconstriction and hypertension.
Hemoglobin's redox activity is central to the dynamic control of blood flow and oxygen delivery.