It was classically thought that the function of mammalian red blood cells (RBCs) was limited
to serving as a vehicle for oxygen, given the cells' abundance of cytosolic hemoglobin. Over …

In a 1914 book entitled The Respiratory Function of the Blood, Joseph Barcroft stated that
'the cell takes what it needs and leaves the rest'. He postulated that there must be both a 'call …

Mature circulating red blood cells (RBCs) are classically viewed as passive participants in
circulatory function, given erythroblasts eject their organelles during maturation …

Please cite this paper as: Sprague RS, Ellsworth ML. Erythrocyte‐derived ATP and perfusion
distribution: role of intracellular and intercellular communication. Microcirculation 19: 430 …

Control of blood flow distribution and tissue homeostasis depend on the tight regulation of
and coordination between the microvascular network and circulating blood cells. Channels …

Introduction The microcirculation supplies oxygen (O 2) and nutrients to all cells with the red
blood cell (RBC) acting as both a deliverer and sensor of O 2. In sepsis, a proinflammatory …

Rationale: Skeletal muscle blood flow is coupled with the oxygenation state of hemoglobin
in young adults, whereby the erythrocyte functions as an oxygen sensor and releases ATP …

The involvement of purinergic signalling in the physiology of erythrocytes, platelets and
leukocytes was recognised early. The release of ATP and the expression of purinoceptors …

The maintenance of adequate tissue O2 levels in skeletal muscle is vital for normal
physiology and requires a well regulated and appropriately distributed convective O2 …

Key points Red blood cells (RBCs) release ATP in response to deoxygenation, which can
increase blood flow to help match oxygen supply with tissue metabolic demand. This …