IN-VIVO BEHAVIOR OF RAT BAND-3 CROSS-LINKED CARRIER ERYTHROCYTES

Rat band 3 cross-linked carrier erythrocytes have been prepared. Iodin ated carbonic anhydrase has been encapsulated into rat erythrocytes. T hen, carrier erythrocytes were labeled with (51)chromium. Eventually, these doubly labeled rat RBCs were treated with a band 3 cross-linking reagent, namely bis(sulfosuccinimidyl)suberate (BS3). (51)Chromium la beling and I-125 CA showed to have cytosolic localization in cross-lin ked carrier erythrocytes. Estimation of the band 3 cross-linking induc ed by BS3 on rat carrier erythrocytes has been done rendering values a round 25% of band 3 monomer reduction. BS3-cross-linked carrier erythr ocytes when injected into rats are mainly targeted to liver as shown b y chromium labeling localization. Also, encapsulated CA radioactivity carried by cross-linked carrier rat erythrocytes when injected into ra ts is localized predominantly in liver as shown by in vivo experiments . Accordingly, cross-linked carrier erythrocytes are highly recognized by peritoneal macrophages as detected by in vitro analyses of macroph age recognition. Thus, our data revealed a targeting of carrier rat er ythrocytes induced by cross-linking of band 3 protein by BS3. These re sults support claims in favor of this animal model as a feasible syste m to analyze cross-linked carrier erythrocytes survival and targeting as well as the in vivo efficacy of targeting of loaded compounds to li ver. ((C) Societe francaise de biochimie et biologie moleculaire/Elsev ier, Paris).