Deterioration of membrane morphology, phospholipids, and cytoskeletal protein in rat erythrocytes exposed to tert-butyl hydroperoxide: protection by exogenous glutathione fails in selenium deficiency.

Here we report scanning electron microscopy, phospholipid and fatty acid composition and cytoskeleton proteins of erythrocytes from Se-adequate and Se-deficient rats, showing protection by glutathione (GSH) against tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH)-induced hemolysis of erythrocytes from Se-adequate, but not from Se-deficient rats. Without exogenous GSH, erythrocytes incubated with t-BuOOH exhibited remarkable deterioration of cell membranes with diminished membrane phosphatidyl-ethanolamine, -serine, and -inositol and selective loss of a cytoskeletal protein, ankyrin 2-1. Without exogenous GSH these changes occurred in erythrocytes from both Se-deficient and Se-adequate rats. Dietary Se, through provision of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in erythrocytes as a probable scavenger of t-BuOOH, protects against hemolysis when GSH is available.