Arias CF, Valente-Leal N, Bertocchini F, Marques S, Acosta FJ, Fernandez-Arias C. A new role for erythropoietin in the homeostasis of red blood cells.
Commun Biol 2024;
7:58. [PMID:
38191841 PMCID:
PMC10774343 DOI:
10.1038/s42003-023-05758-2]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The regulation of red blood cell (RBC) homeostasis is widely assumed to rely on the control of cell production by erythropoietin (EPO) and the destruction of cells at a fixed, species-specific age. In this work, we show that such a regulatory mechanism would be a poor homeostatic solution to satisfy the changing needs of the body. Effective homeostatic control would require RBC lifespan to be variable and tightly regulated. We suggest that EPO may control RBC lifespan by determining CD47 expression in newly formed RBCs and SIRP-α expression in sinusoidal macrophages. EPO could also regulate the initiation and intensity of anti-RBC autoimmune responses that curtail RBC lifespan in some circumstances. These mechanisms would continuously modulate the rate of RBC destruction depending on oxygen availability. The control of RBC lifespan by EPO and autoimmunity emerges as a key mechanism in the homeostasis of RBCs.
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