Deferoxamine and deferasirox action in erythrocytes of patients with transfusion-dependent anemia, under “in vitro” oxidative stress

Patients with sickle cell anemia and thalassemia can have transfusional iron overload and oxidative stress. This study aimed to evaluate the action of iron chelators deferoxamine (DFO) and deferasirox (DFX) in the erythrocyte oxidative metabolism. In this cross-sectional, descriptive study were analyzed blood samples, collected between January and June 2011, obtained from 10 normal individuals and 31 patients with thalassemia or sickle cell anemia, being 19 under DFO or DFX treatment, attended at HEMEPAR. Erythrocytes were incubated with oxidizing agents’ tBHP and AAPH. It were carried out determinations of methemoglobin, reduced glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS),  glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6-PD) activity, and hemolysis, with analysis of variance (one and two ways) and Tukey test (p < 0.05). Baseline values of parameters analyzed did not present significant differences between normal and patient erythrocytes under treatment. After oxidative stress, it was observed significant changes, but equally in all groups, for methemoglobin, GSH, and G6-PD, however indicating partial protection against oxidation for TBARS and hemolysis. Iron chelates showed no protection in normal erythrocytes, in vitro, against methemoglobin formation, GSH decrease or reduction on G6-PD activity, however partial protection against TBARS formation or induced hemolysis, under oxidative stress, was observed. The results suggest that iron chelates DFO and DFX can promote partial protection of erythrocytes against oxidative stress, both in pathological conditions of iron overload or by oxidation in vitro, mainly for TBARS parameters and hemolysis. Key words: Iron chelating agents, Erythrocyte, Hemoglobin, Oxidative stress, Iron overload.