Is red blood cell a mediator of remote ischaemic preconditioning?

Remote ischaemic preconditioning is emerging as a promising clinical technique which can afford immediate protection against coronary ischaemia. The mechanisms which mediate the signal transduction from remote organ to the heart are still unclear. The role of ATP sensitive potassium channels in ischaemic preconditioning has been established. It is known that the red blood cell (RBC) acts as a mediator of local autoregulation in adjusting oxygen supply to demand by sensing hypoxia and releasing ATP locally to achieve vasodilatation in the adjacent vascular beds. Our hypothesis links these two known mechanisms. Remote ischaemic preconditioning and local RBC autoregulation might share a common mechanism using the ATP sensitive potassium channels. Therefore, we hypothesize that the signal transduction by RBC might be partly responsible for this protection against ischaemia.