Erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity changes in the early stages of anemic and hypobaric hypoxia or after CoCl2 treatment in rabbits.

The authors studied the changes of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in rabbits respectively subjected to bleeding, hypobaric hypoxia and CoCl2 treatment; in such conditions a rise of the enzyme activity was observed. Similar increases take place also as a consequence of intravenous infusions carried out by using lactic or hydrochloric acid. The authors suggest that these increases in the erythrocyte AChE activity are connected with the decrease of the pCO2 that occurs in the various experimental conditions achieved.