Title:Lipotoxicity Disrupts Erythrocyte Function: A Perspective
Volume: 21
Issue: 2
Author(s): Charalampos Papadopoulos, Ioannis Tentes and Konstantinos Anagnostopoulos*
Affiliation:
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis,Greece
Keywords:
Erythrocytes, lipotoxicity, cardiometabolic diseases, lipid accumulation, oxidized phospholipids, atherosclerosis.
Abstract:
Background: Lipid accumulation in the liver, skeletal and cardiac muscle, kidneys and
pancreas causes cell dysfunction, death and inflammation, a biological phenomenon named lipotoxicity.
Erythrocytes participate in the transport of lipids in the circulation, and their lipidome is
determined by exchange with blood components.
Objective: The objective of this study is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the effect
of toxic lipid accumulation in erythrocytes.
Results: Erythrocyte lipidome is altered in lipotoxic diseases, such as fatty liver disease, heart failure
and diabetes. In addition, ceramide, lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidic acid, palmitic
acid and free cholesterol induce erythrocyte malfunction.
Conclusion: Erythrocytes are an additional cell target of lipotoxicity. Further exploration of the implicated
molecular mechanisms could lead to novel therapeutic targets for cardiometabolic and hematological
diseases.
