Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sickle cell anemia. Pathophysiological role of increased intracorpuscular calcium and changes during treatment with pentoxifylline

  • Original Contributions
  • Published:
Ricerca in clinica e in laboratorio

Summary

In a group of 20 homozygous (SS) sickle cell patients (age range 8·28 years) determinations of red blood cell and platelet calcium as well as platelet aggregation and platelet malondialdehyde formation were performed before and after oral treatment with 28.4 mg/kg daily pentoxifylline (Trental®) for 30 days. After a previous observation period, drug treatment was started at the onset of painful exacerbation, which thereby subsided within 26.4±9.6h; no further pain symptoms were observed during the treatment. All the above mentioned parameters were found to be increased before treatment when compared to normal subjects and they fell progressively during treatment: red blood cell calcium 86.0±17.9 µmol/l (before), 45.0±8.2 µmol/1 (after); intraplatelet calcium 31.6±10.5 µmol/109 platelets (before), 18.0±5.2 µmol/109 platelets (after); malondialdehyde 18.6±8.9 µmol/109 platelets (before), 9.3±3.9 µmol/109 platelets (after). Also platelet aggregation index was significantly reduced. It is concluded that clinical improvement of patients was attributable to the effects of pentoxifylline on both red blood cells and platelets.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ambrus J. I., Ambrus C. M., Gastpar H., Bannerman R., Bettigole R., Friedman S.: Studies on vasoocclusive crisis of sickle cell disease. I. Effect of pentoxifylline — J. Med.10, 445, 1979.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. De Haas H. A., Clark S. E., Zahavi J., Kakkar V. V., White A. M.: A modified nonradioisotope method for measurement of platelet production time — Brit. J. Haematol.43, 137, 1979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Detwiller T. C., Charo I. F., Feinman R. D.: Evidence that calcium regulates platelet function — Thrombos. Haemost.40, 207, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Eaton J. W., Skelton T. D., Swofford H. S., Kolpin C. E., Jacobs H. S.: Elevated erythrocyte calcium in sickle cell disease — Nature (Lond.)246, 105, 1973.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Heilmann E., Laage H. M., Zimmermann E.: Therapeutic influence on flexibility of erythrocytes in sickle cell anaemia — Inn. Med.9, 277, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Heptinstall S.: The use of a chelating ion-exchange resin to evaluate the effects of the extracellular calcium concentrations on ADP-induced aggregation of human blood platelets — Thrombos. Haemost.36, 208, 1976.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Keller F., Leonhardt H.: Amelioration of blood viscosity in sickle cell anaemia by pentoxifylline: a case report — J. Med.10, 429, 1979.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Manrique R.: Platelet antiaggregants. In:Sousa J. E., Gizzi J. C., Jatene A. D. (Eds): IV Int. Symp. on Coronary Atherosclerosis. São Paulo, April 13–15, 1979.

  9. Manrique R.: The treatment of primary sickle cell crisis with pentoxifylline. In: 6th Meet. Int. Soc. Haematology, European and African Division. Athens, August 30–September 4, 1981. (Abstract).

  10. Manrique R.: Unpublished data.

  11. Massini P., Kaesser-Glanzmann R., Luscher E. F.: Movement of calcium ions and their role in the activation of platelets — Thrombos. Haemost.40, 212, 1978.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Okuma M., Steiner M., Baldin M.: Studies on lipid peroxides in platelets. II. Effect of aggregating agents and platelet antibody — J. Lab. clin. Med.77, 728, 1971.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Palex J., Liu S.: Membrane protein organisation in ATP-depleted and irreversibly sickled red cells — J. supramolec. Struct.10, 79, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Seiffge D., Berthold R., Berthold F.: Effect of pentoxifylline on sickle cell thalassaemia: haemorheological and clinical results — Klin. Wschr.61, 1159, 1983.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Seiffge D., Kremer E.: Antithrombotic effect of pentoxifylline on laser-induced thrombi in rat mesenteric arteries — IRCS med. Sci.12, 1271, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Weed R. I., La Celle P. L., Merrill E. W., Craib G., Gregory A., Karch F., Pickens F.: Metabolic dependence of red cell deformability — J. clin. Invest.48, 795, 1969.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Weed R., La Celle P., Udkow M.: Structure and function of the red cell membrane. In:Greewald T. J., Jamieson G. A. (Eds): The red cellin vitro. Grune and Stratton, New York, 1973.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Weithmann K. U.: The influence of pentoxifylline on interaction between blood vessel wall and platelets — IRCS med. Sci.8, 293, 1980.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto «Dante Pazzanese» de Cardiologia, Avenida Dr Dante Pazzanese, 500, CEP 04012, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ricardo Manrique

Authors
  1. Ricardo Manrique
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Manrique, R. Sickle cell anemia. Pathophysiological role of increased intracorpuscular calcium and changes during treatment with pentoxifylline. La Ricerca Clin. Lab. 17, 355–362 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02886919

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02886919

Key-words

Search

Navigation