title: Effect of zinc ions on the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin and the level of 2,3-DPG in normal human red blood cells in vitro.
abstract: This paper presents the results of experiments on the in vitro effect of zinc ions on the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and on the 2,3-DPG content of the red blood cells of healthy humans. Blood was incubated in 1.5 X 10(-3) M ZnSO4 solution for 4 h and then the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin and the hematocrit number were determined. An original method of determination the oxygen dissociation curve of HbO2 was employed enabling an exact calculation of the P50 value of the hemolysates by the method of least squares. Analysis of statistically verified results reveals that zinc ions increase the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin bringing about a leftward shift of the HbO2 dissociation curve (by 3.85 mm Hg for P50) the level of 2,3-DPG remaining constant in the red cells incubated with ZnSO4. The mechanisms of this phenomenon and its possible clinical implications are discussed.
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004163:Diphosphoglyceric Acids / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004163:Diphosphoglyceric Acids; D006454:Hemoglobins; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D015032:Zinc; D010100:Oxygen