The extensive crosslinkage of cell-free hemoglobin in a high-molecular weight HBOC retains cell-free hemoglobin dimers in the intravascular compartment, thereby preventing extravasation 112 of cell-free hemoglobin into the muscular layer of the arteries where local NO consumption can trigger vasoconstriction (25).
Increased plasma concentrations of cell-free heme, the breakdown product of 390 hemoglobin, promote activation and inflammation of endothelial cells and enhance 391 oxidative stress and vascular permeability (22).
Some of the adverse effects caused by cell-free hemoglobin are a result of depletion of nitric oxide (NO), which may lead to vasoconstriction, inflammation, and platelet activation (10, 24).
Compared to wild-type (WT) mice, mice with 117 endothelial dysfunction have an increased vasoconstrictor response to infusion of 118 cell-free hemoglobin (25).
These data suggest that co-administration of human haptoglobin or hemopexin does 276 not attenuate the conversion of NO to nitrate that is mediated by cell-free murine 277 hemoglobin.
SBP 315 increased 27±2 mmHg during the 40 minutes following infusion of hemoglobin in 316 db/db mice (Figure 4A).
Previous studies showed that db/db mice have enhanced 312 susceptibility to hemoglobin-induced vasoconstriction (25).
Intravenous infusion of cell-free hemoglobin induces hypertension in mice 205 (24).
When mice 347 are infused with extracellular hemoglobin that has been extensively crosslinked and 348 only contains a small fraction of monomeric hemoglobin (as in the HBOCs, 349 PolyHeme), scavenging of NO is markedly reduced (25).
Inhibition of extravasation of cross-linked extracellular 352 hemoglobin has been postulated as a possible mechanism of decreased NO353 scavenging in the muscular layer of arteries by high-molecular weight HBOCs.
The mechanism postulated for the beneficial effects 398 of hemopexin in mouse models of chronic hemolysis involves inhibition of heme399 dependent activation of TLR4 signaling and a combination of reduced endothelial 400 formation of reactive oxygen species and restored endothelial NOS-activity.
These results show that, in contrast to haptoglobin, hemopexin 247 was unable to prevent free hemoglobin-induced hemoglobinuria.
In mouse models associated with 392 chronic hemolysis and heme overload, such as in mice with a sickle hemoglobin 393 (HbS) gene knock-in or mouse models of β-thalassemia, repeated treatment with 394 hemopexin was shown to reduce chronically elevated blood pressure (21).
TLR4 401 activation by free heme would induce mobilization of P-selectin and von Willebrand 402 factor to the endothelial surface that triggers VCAM-1, ICAM-1, and E-selectin403 dependent hemostasis and vasoocclusion (3, 4).
Likewise, 395 infusion of haptoglobin or hemopexin in HbS mice inhibited hemoglobin-dependent 396 vaso-occlusion (3).
By binding cell-free hemoglobin, haptoglobin prevents glomerular filtration of cell-free hemoglobin and subsequent kidney injury (2,7).
Schaer and colleagues 107 showed that administration of exogenous haptoglobin prevents extravasation of cell free hemoglobin and vasoconstriction in rats (18).
Furthermore, haptoglobin retained cell-free 338 hemoglobin in plasma and prevented hemoglobinuria.
In mice fed a HFD or in 339 diabetic mice fed a normal diet, haptoglobin mixed with murine tetrameric 340 hemoglobin in a 1:1 weight ratio also retained cell-free hemoglobin in plasma and 341 prevented hemoglobinuria but did not reduce hemoglobin-induced hypertension.
In the 358 current study, we demonstrated that administration of human haptoglobin retained 359 cell-free hemoglobin in plasma, prevented hemoglobinuria, and reduced the 360 hemoglobin-induced hypertension in healthy awake mice (see Figure 1A).
Recent data suggest that haptoglobin prevents hemoglobin-induced hypertension by 355 a similar mechanism (18).
Haptoglobin binds to hemoglobin dimers and forms a high-molecular weight haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex, which is cleared from the circulation after binding to the CD163 receptor on hepatic and splenic macrophages (12).
Co-administration of haptoglobin attenuated the hemoglobin-induced increase in SBP during the 40 minutes after co-injection by an average of 13±3 mmHg (Figure 1A).
These results 230 suggest that co-injection of haptoglobin but not hemopexin with cell-free hemoglobin 231 can prevent hemoglobin-induced hypertension in awake, healthy mice.
Haptoglobin binds to cell-free hemoglobin and thereby prevents glomerular filtration 237 (6).
Mice that received cell free hemoglobin together with haptoglobin had significantly higher plasma NO 258 consumption than mice that received cell-free hemoglobin alone at 60 minutes after 259 injection.
Taken together these results suggest that infusion of cell-free hemoglobin 264 mixed with an equal mass of haptoglobin is sufficient to bind cell-free hemoglobin 265 and prevent renal clearance of extracellular hemoglobin.
SBP increased 224 on average 20±2 mmHg in mice injected with hemoglobin mixed with hemopexin and 225 therefore was similar to the increase after hemoglobin injection alone.
Mice with diabetes mellitus or hyperlipidemia have evidence of endothelial dysfunction, which is associated with reduced nitric oxide synthase (NOS) 3 activity (15, 16).
Endothelial dysfunction, a condition associated with reduced bioavailability of 282 vascular NO, occurs in humans and mice with hyperlipidemia (16).
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If you find BEL Commons useful in your work, please consider citing: Hoyt, C. T., Domingo-Fernández, D., & Hofmann-Apitius, M. (2018). BEL Commons: an environment for exploration and analysis of networks encoded in Biological Expression Language. Database, 2018(3), 1–11.