Chloroquine Interference with Hemoglobin Endocytic Trafficking Suppresses Adaptive Heme and Iron Homeostasis in Macrophages: The Paradox of an Antimalarial Agent
Figure 2
Chloroquine treatment causes intracellular accumulation of heme and globin. (a) CD163-positive HEK cells were exposed to 2 mg/mL Hb:Hp for 12 hours in the presence or absence of chloroquine (10 μM). The image shows pellets of extensively washed cells at the end of the treatment period. Chloroquine-treated cells appear intensely red-brown after Hb:Hp exposure, indicating high intracellular heme. (b) Integration of fragment-ion signal intensities for the Hb β-chain specific peptide SAVTALWGK, as detected by SRM. Sequences and m/z ratios of the targeted peptide fragments are indicated. The integrated signals confirm that the Hb peptide accumulates in the chloroquine-treated cells compared to control cells. The insert shows VIS spectra in the range of 500 nm–650 nm of cell lysates, showing a characteristic Hb absorption component in the chloroquine + Hb treated cells.
