Oxidative damage to the erythrocyte induced by sodium chlorite, in vitro.

The ability of sodium chlorite to react with constituents of the erythrocyte, in vitro, was examined and compared to that of nitrite. The oxidative damage resulting from chlorite is fundamentally different from that of nitrite. Nitrite is slightly more potent as an oxidant of hemoglobin, while chlorite appears to be less specific in its oxidation of cellular constituents. Unlike nitrite, chlorite was found to deplete erythrocyte glutathione, which was accompanied by an increase in hydrogen peroxide generation. Chlorite also produced substantial changes in erythrocyte membrane morphology. These effects of chlorite are characteristic of compounds that produce oxidant-induced hemolytic anemia in vivo.