Affiliations: Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Cátedra de Física Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, CP 2000, Rosario, Argentina | Cátedra de Dermatología, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, CP 2000, Rosario, Argentina | Sección Inmunidad Celular, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Santa Fe 3100, CP 2000, Rosario, Argentina
Abstract: Systemic scleroderma is an autoimmune disease, due to a connective tissue alteration characterized by extracellular matrix increase in the skin and internal organs. It is already known that the Raynaud's phenomenon and the microcapillary obliteration lead to ischemia and peripheral tissue injury. The ischemia–reperfusion phenomenon releases free radicals, that react with red blood cells (RBCs) membrane components originating lipid peroxidation and impairment of the ATP-Ca++ pump, two possible mechanisms responsible of disease pathogenesis. Nifedipine is a Ca++-channel antagonist that has been used for a long time in Raynaud's phenomenon treatment. In the present study we were able to demonstrate that erythrocyte deformability and two other related variables such as membrane fluidity and osmotic fragility improve significantly with nifedipine therapy. It is likely that nifedipine inhibiting cytoplasmic calcium accumulation could restore some red blood cell membrane properties.
