Sodium selenite as modulator of red cell shape

Abstract

Addition of sodium selenite to human red cells, under ATP deplete conditions, induces a rapid oxidation of both glutathione and protein sulphydryl groups. Selenite also inhibits the discocyte-echinocyte shape transformation and stops the process before completion. Parallel to the effect on shape, selenite reduces the dephosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate. Therefore our results support a shape change mechanism based on the metabolism of phosphoinositides and compatible with the bilayer-couple hypothesis.