Oscillatory oxido-reductive reaction of intracellular hemoglobin in human erythrocyte incubated with o-aminophenol.

When human erythrocytes were incubated with o-aminophenol at pH 7.0 at 37 degrees C for 46 hours, intracellular oxyhemoglobin was completely oxidized to methemoglobin during the initial 6 hours, and methemoglobin formed was then reduced to oxyhemoglobin during the following 20 hours. This was demonstrated by the changes in absorption spectra of intracellular hemoglobin. Such oscillatory behavior of intracellular hemoglobin during reaction with o-aminophenol was explained by the fact that o-aminophenol has the ability to both oxidize oxyhemoglobin and reduce methemoglobin. In order to study the mechanism of oxido-reductive reactions of hemoglobin with aromatic reductants including o-aminophenol, the oxidation of ferrous hemoglobin and reduction of methemoglobin with various aromatic reductants such as o-aminophenol, 2-amino-4-methyl-phenol, 2-amino-5-methylphenol, and homogentisic acid were investigated under various conditions. It was found that oxyhemoglobin was oxidized by these aromatic compounds, and the oxidation rate was accelerated in the presence of inositol hexaphosphate, but was not affected in the presence of catalase and superoxide dismutase, except for the case with homogentisic acid. The oxidation of ferrous hemoglobin by these compounds did not proceed under anaerobic conditions. Methemoglobin was reduced by these aromatic compounds, and the reduction rate was much accelerated in the presence of inositol hexaphosphate, but was not affected in the presence of catalase and superoxide dismutase, except for the case with homogentisic acid. The reduction of methemoglobin by these compounds proceeded under anaerobic conditions, suggesting that ferric heme of hemoglobin reacts directly with aromatic reductants. On the basis of these results, the mechanism of oxido-reductive reaction of ferrous and ferric hemoglobin with aromatic reductants was proposed.