The importance of carnosine to erythrocyte rheology

Carnosine is a naturally occuring multifunctional dipeptide made up of a chemical combination of the amino acids beta-alanine and L-histidine.It commonly presents in mammalian tissues, in especially high levels in long-lived cells (e.g.nerve and muscle), but it declines with age. Its main physiological function is uncertain although many possibilities have been proposed including physiological buffer, wound healing agent, antioxidant, free radical scavenger, metal ion chelator, immunomodulator, antitumor agent and anti-aging compound. Carnosine is a naturally occurring antioxidant that has been shown to be an anti-glycating agent. It also has the ability to suppress advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species. On the other hand, red blood cells experience continuous oxidative insult by being exposed to endogenous and exogenous reactive oxygen species. Although the red cell contains an extensive antioxidant defense system, oxidative damage of membrane proteins and lipids contributes to the senescence of normal red cells and results in a shorter life span for pathological RBCs. Oxidative damage in RBC is one of the well established mechanisms of mechanical impairment. RBC deformability is an important determinant of blood rheology and normal RBC deformability is essential for proper tissue perfusion and oxygenation, as well as for the normal survival of RBC in the circulation. Therefore, maintaining normal RBC mechanical properties should be an important objective in therapeutic approachs to some hematological and other disorders. Carnosine, as an antioxidant molecule, protects the erythrocyte from oxidative and peroxidative damage and also protects against oxidative stress induced (e.g. by H2O2, SNP and Glucose) impairment of RBC deformability. It shows rejuvenating effects in erythrocytes and it can be used to improve RBC quality and as a potential therapeutic agent for hemorheological pathologies.