The red blood cell as a biosensor for monitoring oxidative imbalance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an ex vivo and in vitro study

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity in Western countries. The increased oxidative stress, caused by the release of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) from inflammatory airways cells, contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate (a) whether the oxidative imbalance can lead to specific alterations of red blood cells (RBCs) from stable COPD patients; (b) whether treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), in widespread use as mucolytic agent in clinical practice, can counteract these effects; and (c) whether an in vitro model represented by the exposure of RBC to ROS/RNS could mimic the in vivo situation. The results obtained clearly indicated that the RBC integrity and function are similarly altered in COPD patients and in ROS/RNS in vitro-treated samples and that NAC administration was capable of counteracting RBC oxidative modifications both in vivo, as detected by clinical and laboratory evaluations, and in vitro. Altogether these results point to RBC oxidative modifications as valuable bioindicators in the clinical management of COPD and indicate that in vitro RBC exposure to ROS/RNS as a useful tool in experimental studies aimed at the comprehension of the pathogenic mechanisms of the redox-associated diseases.