Sun Liping, Li Xiaofei, Liang Xiaoxing, Duan Cuimi, Li Fengxian, Yu Yang, Wang Deqing
Department of Transfusion Medicine, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
Department of Blood Transfusion, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
Blood Sci. 2025 Mar 17;7(2):e00209. doi: 10.1097/BS9.0000000000000209. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) in red blood cells (RBCs) contribute most of the miRNAs in whole blood, and miRNAs in RBCs are closely related to storage lesions in vitro. However, the role of miRNAs in the process of RBC senescence in vivo remains unclear. We conducted a comprehensive miRNA expression analysis of RBCs collected from enriched mature RBCs in five density layers. The results showed that the type and number of RBC miRNAs changed with the aging of RBCs, the expression levels of 10 RBC miRNAs decreased markedly at the early stage of RBC aging and the levels of 5 RBC miRNAs increased significantly at the terminal stage of RBC senescence. The analysis identified 32 miRNAs whose changes in expression levels were correlated with the two selected aging indexes-pyruvate kinase (PK) activity and RBC indices. The differential expression amounts of the two selected miRNAs (miR-22-3p and miR-144-3p) were confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. A bioinformatics analysis identified the potential targets and biological functions of these miRNAs. The experiment of miR-22-3p in the human erythroblast cell line K562 confirmed its negative effects on PK levels. Overall, our research demonstrates, for the first time, that changes in the expression levels of miRNAs during the RBC aging process, and RBC miRNAs thus have the potential to serve as markers of RBC aging in vivo. In addition, the expression of miR-22-3p may regulate RBC senescence by inhibiting PK levels.
研究表明，红细胞（RBC）中的微小RNA（miRNA）占全血中miRNA的大部分，且RBC中的miRNA与体外储存损伤密切相关。然而，miRNA在体内RBC衰老过程中的作用仍不清楚。我们对从五个密度层富集的成熟RBC中收集的RBC进行了全面的miRNA表达分析。结果显示，RBC miRNA的类型和数量随RBC衰老而变化，10种RBC miRNA的表达水平在RBC衰老早期显著下降，5种RBC miRNA的水平在RBC衰老末期显著升高。分析确定了32种miRNA，其表达水平变化与两个选定的衰老指标——丙酮酸激酶（PK）活性和RBC指数相关。通过实时聚合酶链反应（PCR）分析证实了两种选定miRNA（miR-22-3p和miR-144-3p）的差异表达量。生物信息学分析确定了这些miRNA的潜在靶标和生物学功能。在人成红细胞系K562中对miR-22-3p进行的实验证实了其对PK水平的负面影响。总体而言，我们的研究首次证明了RBC衰老过程中miRNA表达水平的变化，因此RBC miRNA有潜力作为体内RBC衰老的标志物。此外，miR-22-3p的表达可能通过抑制PK水平来调节RBC衰老。
