Hemoglobin content is increased in the human erythroleukemia K562 cell line by a 56.2-kD peptide from uremic plasma.

Background: Some abnormalities in porphyrin metabolism have been described in erythrocytes from patients with end-stage renal failure. A peptidic fraction of 56.2 kD isolated from plasma of these patients was previously identified as an aminolevulinate dehydratase inhibitor. The aim of this study was to examine the in vitro effect of this peptide on heme synthesis in the erythroleukemia K562 cells.

Methods: The 56.2-kD fraction was purified from uremic plasma by protein electroelution and, its action on the mitochondrial rate-limiting steps of heme synthesis, as well as the hemoglobin content during erythroid differentiation induced by sodium butyrate, was investigated in K562 cells.

Results: Two hours after addition of the 56.2-kD peptide, the activities of aminolevulinate acid synthase and aminolevulinate dehydratase were reduced while the activity of the ferrochelatase was enhanced, indicating that this peptide easily across the membranes. A 3-day incubation with this peptide enhanced approximately twofold the hemoglobin and porphyrin levels during erythroid differentiation of K562 cells without variation of cell growth.

Conclusion: This study shows that the addition of the 56.2-kD uremic factor to K562 cells was clearly implicated in heme disturbances existing in chronic renal failure but it did not play a negative role in the pathogenesis of the uremic anemia.