Blood, 1972, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 257-260.
© 1972 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Quantitative Recovery of 14C-labeled Carbon Monoxide
(14CO) From Viable Heme-labeled Red Blood Cells
in the Rat
Stephen A. Landaw 1
1 Donner Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Calif.
Long-term recovery of 14C-labeled carbon monoxide (14CO) from labeled,
transfused red blood cells (RBC) was
studied in buffalo rats. Donor RBC
(labeled with 14C-2-glycine) were
transfused into host rats, and the 14CO
formed from degradation of labeled
hemoglobin heme was collected over
the next 110+ days. The heme-equivalent 14CO recovery in 13 animals
averaged 102.1 ± 2.1% (mean ± SE)
of activity in hemoglobin heme of
donor RBC. This confirms that heme
of circulating RBC destroyed by random hemolysis and senescence is
quantitatively converted to CO.
Submitted on December 14, 1971
Revised on February 23, 1972
Accepted on February 26, 1972
