The time course of methaemoglobin reduction in human erythrocytes treated with nitrite was studied at pH 7.4, 37 degrees C, in the presence or absence of Methylene Blue, and the changes in methaemoglobin, intermediate haemoglobins and oxyhaemoglobin during the reaction were analysed by isoelectric-focusing on Ampholine/polyacrylamide-gel plates. In both cases, with or without the dye, the intermediate haemoglobins were found to be present at (alpha 3+beta 2+)2 and (alpha 2+beta 3+)2 valency hybrids from their characteristic position on electrophoresis, but amounts changed consecutively with time. The amount of (alpha 3+beta 2+)2 was always greater than that of the (alpha 2+beta 3+)2 valency hybrid. This result is explained by the differences in redox potentials between alpha- and beta-chains in methaemoglobin tetramer. It was concluded that methaemoglobin was reduced in human erythrocytes through these two different pats: methaemoglobin leads to k+3 (alpha 2+beta 3+)2 leads to k+3 oxyhaemoglobin. The reaction rate constants k'+1 (= k+1+k+3) and k'+2(=k+2+k+4) were estimated from the changes in each component methaemoglobin, intermediate haemoglobins [(alpha 3+beta 2+)2+(alpha 2+beta 3+)2] and oxyhaemoglobin.
Mechanism of methaemoglobin reduction by human erythrocytes
