Faculty Collaboration Database

Centrifugation Removes a Population of Large Vesicles, or "Macroparticles," Intermediate in Size to RBCs and Microvesicles. Int J Mol Sci 2021 Jan 27;22(3)

Date

01/31/2021

Pubmed ID

33513958

Pubmed Central ID

PMC7865243

DOI

10.3390/ijms22031243

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85099909407 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   3 Citations

Abstract

Microparticles or microvesicles (MPs/MVs) are sub-cellular vesicles with a growing number of known biological functions. Microvesicles from a variety of parent cells within the vascular system increase in numerous pathological states. Red blood cell-derived MVs (RMVs) are relatively less studied than other types of circulating MVs despite red blood cells (RBCs) being the most abundant intravascular cell. This may be in part due the echoes of past misconceptions that RBCs were merely floating anucleate bags of hemoglobin rather than dynamic and responsive cells. The initial aim of this study was to maximize the concentration of RMVs derived from various blood or blood products by focusing on the optimal isolation conditions without creating more MVs from artificial manipulation. We found that allowing RBCs to sediment overnight resulted in a continuum in size of RBC membrane-containing fragments or vesicles extending beyond the 1 µm size limit suggested by many as the maximal size of an MV. Additionally, dilution and centrifugation factors were studied that altered the resultant MV population concentration. The heterogeneous size of RMVs was confirmed in mice models of hemolytic anemia. This methodological finding establishes a new paradigm in that it blurs the line between RBC, fragment, and RMV as well as suggests that the concentration of circulating RMVs may be widely underestimated given that centrifugation removes the majority of such RBC-derived membrane-containing particles.

Author List

Larson MC, Hogg N, Hillery CA

Author

Neil Hogg PhD Associate Dean, Professor in the Biophysics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Anemia, Hemolytic
Animals
Cell Lineage
Cell-Derived Microparticles
Centrifugation
Erythrocyte Count
Erythrocytes
Hemoglobins
Humans
Mice