A two-molecule mechanism of haem degradation.

Coupled oxidation of octaethylhaemin and phenylhydrazine hydrochloride with 16,16O2 and 18,18O2 produced octaethyl[16O]verdohaemochrome and octaethyl[18O]-verdohaemochrome respectively. Reactions of these products with 16,16O2 in the presence of phenylhydrazine hydrochloride yielded octaethyl[16O, 16O]biliverdin and octaethyl[18O, 16O]biliverdin. The same reactions with 18,18O2 yielded octaethyl[16O, 18O]biliverdin and octaethyl[18O, 18O]biliverdin. Accordingly, the two oxygen atoms of biliverdin are incorporated from different O2 molecules in separate reactions, namely the formation of verdohaemochrome and the conversion of verdohaemochrome into biliverdin. These reactions account for a "two-molecule mechanism' of biliverdin formation from haem with verdohaemochrome participating as an intermediate product.