IRON RELEASE, MEMBRANE-PROTEIN OXIDATION AND ERYTHROCYTE AGING

The aerobic incubation of erythrocytcs in phosphate buffer for 24-60 h (a model of rapid in vitro ageing) induced progressive iron release a nd methemoglobin formation. Membrane proteins showed electrophoretic a lterations and increase in carbonyl groups (as documented by IR spectr oscopy). None of these phenomena were seen when the erythrocytes were incubated under anaerobic conditions, The membranes from aerobically i ncubated cells bound a much higher amount of autologous IgG than those from anaerobically incubated ones, suggesting that the aerobic incuba tion gives rise to the senescent antigen, The addition of ferrozine du ring the aerobic incubation prevented both the IgG binding and the pro tein alterations seen in the IR spectra, suggesting an intracellular c helation of the released iron by ferrozine.