Effect of sialidase on the viability of erythrocytes in circulation

Abstract

Sialic acid has been detected on the erythrocyte surface of a number of different species of animals. The objective of this investigation was to determine the physiological significance of these sialyl residues to the viability of erythrocytes in circulation. Methods have been described for the determination of total sialic acid on red blood cells and the conditions under which it may be released with sialidase. Chicken, dog, goat, and rabbit were chosen for these studies because of the differences in the amount (3 X 10(6) - 72 X 10(6) resides per erythrocyte), and type (N-acetyl-or N-glycolyl-neuraminic acids) of sialic acid found on the surface of their erythrocytes. Radioactive tagging with Na251CrO4 was used to monitor the effect of sialidase on the viability of erythrocytes upon autologous transfusion. By the two criteria used to assess the viability of erythrocytes-the percentage of erythrocytes surviving 24 hr after the autologous transfusion, and the half-life of those red blood cells in circulation that survive the first 24 h after the autologous transfusion, and the half-life of those red blood cells in circulation that survive the first 24 hr-it is apparent that the presence of sialic acid on the cell surface is crucial for the survival of nonnucleated mammalian erythrocytes. The loss of viability of dog erythrocytes can be elicited by the removal of approximately 10% of the total sialic acid. In marked contrast to the behavior of mammalian erythrocytes, sialidase-treated chicken erythrocytes appear to retain their viability in circulation.

Effects of Lead on Electrophoretic Mobility, Membrane Sialic Acid, Deformability and Survival of Rat Erythrocytes.

“…Baxter and Beeley16) found that the oldest and most dense cell fractions consistently showed a 15 % lower sialic acid content than that of the cells at the top of the gradient. Aminoff et al 33) indicated that the loss of viability of sialidase-treated dog RBCs could be elicited by the removal of 12 % of the total sialic acid. Furthermore, it has been reported that the desialylated RBCs were sequestered in the liver and spleen35-37).…”

Sialic acid in cardiovascular diseases

“…Most of the sialic acid residues on the erythrocytes surface membrane are susceptible to cleavage by sialidase. The amount of sialic acid released enzymatically is correlated with the total sialic acid residues on the erythrocyte surface (71). The erythrocyte surface sialic acid has been shown to determine the life span of erythrocytes (72)(73)(74)(75).…”

Regulation by membrane sialic acid of β1H-dependent decay-dissociation of amplification C3 convertase of the alternative complement pathway

“…Senescent human erythrocytes have diminished amounts of sialic acid residues (46), and sialidase-treated erythrocytes of several mammalian species are rapidly removed from the circulation by sequestration in the liver (27). A possible mechanism for recognition and clearance of aging or altered erythrocytes could be membrane deposition of COb that is facilitated by impaired ,B1H activity.…”

“…Rabbit erythrocyte, an activator, has less membrane sialic acid content (27) than the nonactivating particle, sheep erythrocyte; and complement-mediated lysis of human erythrocytes from normal individuals (28) and from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (29), of sheep erythrocytes (30,31), and of murine (32) and guinea pig (33) tumor cells was enhanced by pretreatment of the cells with sialidase. The present study demonstrates that removal of sialic acid residues from sheep erythrocytes or degradation of the exocyclic polyhydroxylated side chain of sialic acid converts the cell into an activator of the alternative pathway by impairing fllH-mediated decay-dissociation of membrane-bound C3b,Bb.…”