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. 2011 Nov 16;17(1):21–35. doi: 10.2478/s11658-011-0033-9

Influence of dendrimers on red blood cells

Barbara Ziemba 1,✉, Gabriela Matuszko 1, Maria Bryszewska 1, Barbara Klajnert 1
PMCID: PMC6275740  PMID: 22086186

Abstract

Dendrimers, highly branched macromolecules with a specific size and shape, provide many exciting opportunities for biomedical applications. However, most dendrimers demonstrate toxic and haemolytic activity because of their positively charged surface. Masking the peripheral cationic groups by coating them with biocompatible molecules is a method to reduce it. It was proven that modified dendrimers can even diminish haemolytic activity of encapsulated drugs. Experiments confirmed that anionic dendrimers are less haemotoxic than cationic ones. Due to the high affinity of dendrimers for serum proteins, presence of these components in an incubation buffer might also influence red blood cell (RBC)-dendrimer interactions and decrease the haemolysis level. Generally, haemotoxicity of dendrimers is concentration-, generation-, and time-dependent. Various changes in the RBCs’ shape in response to interactions with dendrimers have been observed, from echinocytic transformations through cell aggregation to cluster formation, depending on the dendrimer’s type and concentration. Understanding the physical and chemical origins of dendrimers’ influences on RBCs might advance scientists’ ability to construct dendrimers more suitable for medical applications.

Key words: Dendrimer, Erythrocytes, Haemolysis, Red blood cell, Red blood cell morphology, Toxicity

Full Text

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Abbreviations used

AFM

atomic force microscopy

CSi

carbosilane dendrimers

DOX

doxorubicin

FA

folic acid

HSA

human serum albumin

MRI

magnetic resonance imaging

PAD-PPI

dextran conjugated PPI dendrimers

PAMAM

polyamidoamine dendrimers

PEG

poly(ethylene glycol)

PEO

poly(ethylene oxide)

PPI

poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers

PPI-DAB

PPI dendrimers with diaminobutane core

PPI-DAE

PPI dendrimers with diaminoethane core

RBCs

red blood cells

Rms

AFM roughness values

Footnotes

Paper authored by participants of the international conference: 18th Meeting, European Association for Red Cell Research, Wrocław — Piechowice, Poland, May 12–15th, 2011. Publication cost was covered by the organizers of this meeting.

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