Effect of Erythrocyte Destruction on Carbon Monoxide Production in Man*

Recent studies performed in our laboratory (1) have confirmed the finding of Sjdstrand (2, 3) that carbon monoxide is produced in normal man.In 10 normal subjects the average rate of production of carbon monoxide was found to be 0.42 (SE of mean + 0.02) ml per hour.The present study is an attempt to clarify the processes that result in the production of this gas in the body.A number of studies have been performed that suggest that CO may be an in vivo catabolic by- product of hemoglobin.Sj6strand and associates have demonstrated that the blood carboxyhemoglobin concentration [COHb] becomes elevated in man after intramuscular or intravenous injec- tion of blood or hemoglobin (3) and intravenous injection of damaged erythrocytes or nicotinic acid (4).Sj6strand (3) and later Engstedt ( 5) and Oski and Altman (6) noted that the blood [COHb] level is elevated in patients with hemoly- sis.Chemical studies by Sj6strand (7, 8) and Ludwig, Blakemore, and Drabkin (9) have dem- onstrated that treatment of hemoglobin (7, 8) and pyridine hemochromogen (9) with hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid results in CO forma- tion.In the latter study the bridge and adjacent carbon atoms of heme were labeled with C14, and the CO formed was found to be radioactive, indi- cating that CO probably arose from a methene bridge carbon atom.