The reduction of methemoglobin by NADPH-flavin reductase of human erythrocytes through flavin was studied under various conditions using a reconstituted methemoglobin reductase system. The reduction of methemoglobin by the reconstituted enzyme system could be easily detected with flavin at the physiological concentration (e.g., 0.1-1.0 microM), and the rates obtained with 0.1 and 1.0 microM FMN were 0.19 and 2.2 nmol heme reduced per min per ml, respectively, in the absence of oxygen. FMN was more effective than FAD in reduction by the reconstituted enzyme system, and oxygen decreased the rate of the reduction. The reduction of methemoglobin by the reconstituted enzyme system with flavin at a physiological concentration proceeded as a zero order reaction. These results apparently suggest that the NADPH-flavin reductase system is able to reduce methemoglobin in erythrocytes at a moderate speed with about 1 microM flavin, and the reduction was estimated to vary from less than 1% to about 20% of that by the NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase system with 1 microM cytochrome b5, depending on the uptake of flavin by human erythrocytes.

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The effect of H2O2 on ferrous human haemoglobin subunits (alphash-, betash-, alphapmb- and betapmb-chains) was studied. These chains were easily transformed to haemichrome by the addition of H2O2 or H2O2-generating systems, including glucose oxidase (EC 1.1.3.4) AND XANTHINE OXIDASE (EC 1.2.3.2), and this was ascertained by e.p.r. measurements and by absorption spectra. The changes in these haemoglobin subunits were not inhibited by superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1), but were decreased by catalase (EC 1.11.1.6). The rate of oxidation of alphapmb-chains was higher than that of alphash-chains, and the rate of oxidation of betapmb-chains was higher than that of betash-chains. Haemichrome was demonstrated to be formed directly from these ferrous chains by the attack by H2O2, and this process did not involve formation of methaemoglobin. On the basis of these findings the kinetics of the reaction between the haemoglobin subunits and H2O2 was studied, and the pathological significance of H2O2 in disorders of erythrocytes such as thalassaemia was discussed.

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