title: The origin of red cell fluorescence caused by hydrogen peroxide treatment.
abstract: Fluorescence in red cells following hydrogen peroxide treatment has been attributed to lipid peroxidation of the membrane. The putative relationship between lipid peroxidation and fluorescence was questioned by the finding that BHT and alpha-tocopherol, which are thought to inhibit lipid peroxidation, do not inhibit the fluorescence detected by flow cytometry. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation induced in red cells by the Fe(III)-ADP-ascorbate system did not produce fluorescence. These results require an alternative explanation for the hydrogen peroxide-induced fluorescence. A role for reduced hemoglobin is indicated by the inhibition of fluorescence by pretreatment of cells with CO that binds strongly to ferrohemoglobin and nitrite that oxidizes ferrohemoglobin. Our earlier studies have shown the formation of fluorescent heme degradation products during the reaction of purified hemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide, which was also inhibited by CO and nitrite pretreatment. The fluorescence produced in red cells after the addition of hydrogen peroxide can, therefore, be attributed to fluorescent heme degradation products.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Dynamics Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagababu
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chrest
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rifkind
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; C061126:iron(III)-ascorbic acid complex; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D001205:Ascorbic Acid