Figure 3. Progressive sCLU accumulation in the RBCs-derived vesicles released during ex vivo aging in blood bank storage conditions.

Representative sCLU immunoblot (A₁) and densitometric analysis (A₂) of vesicle preparations derived from RBCs units stored in autologous plasma (N = 4). (B) TEM immunogold localization of sCLU at the periphery and the cytosol of vesicles derived from RBCs stored in autologous plasma for 35 days (N = 2). (C) In vitro analysis of sCLU oligomerization pattern (arrows) in vesicles derived from control (C) or tBHP oxidized (Ox) RBCs; m, denotes an isolated plasma membrane sample. Probing with anti-actin and anti-stomatin were used as protein loading references. Shown densitometric data of sCLU vesicular levels (mean values of at least two different experiments) indicate relative proportion against a loading reference followed by normalization against the controls, namely samples stored for a short period of 11 days; error bars indicate ± standard deviation. Asterisks indicate difference of each day of storage vs. day 11 at significance level of p<0.05. Bars in (B), 100 nm.