A comparison of the erythrocyte (RBC) antioxidant metabolites and enzymes in nine marsupial and two monotreme species was carried out. Reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations were comparable with those reported for other marsupial and eutherian species. An important finding was that the erythrocytes of the southern hairy nosed wombat regenerated GSH faster than the erythrocytes from its close ...

We report the first case of methaemoglobinaemia induced by mesalazine. A woman suffering diarrhea and abdominal pain was initially treated with sulfamethoxazole–trimethoprim (TMP–SMX) and metronidazole for suspected infectious colitis. The treatment was stopped after ten days and she was referred to a gastroenterologist. A colonoscopy showed features resembling inflammatory bowel disease. Histo...

Two young women had unexpected cyanosis a few hours after cardiac catheterisation for electrophysiological investigation. The first patient had atrioventricular septal defect, had undergone repeated surgical interventions, and was referred because of atrial flutter. The second patient had ablation of an accessory pathway in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Local anaesthesia was performed with 40...

Zidovudine (AZT) is a nucleoside analog, a reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and a type of antiretroviral drug used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. The administration of zidovudine to the wistar albino rats showed an increase in erythrocyte fragility as can be seen from figure 1. There were significant (p<0.05) increases in serum Aspartate aminotranseferase (AST) activity, and GlutathioneSt...

In view of the fact that aniline is absorbed not only by inhalation but also through the skin, the aerial contamination alone is not an exact indication of exposure. It is necessary to find a biological test which reveals exposure and is independent of the route of absorption. It is conceivable that the p-aminophenol excretion in the urine, which is a well-known symptom of aniline intoxication,...

Several recent studies show that the lungs infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa are often co-colonised by oral bacteria including black-pigmenting anaerobic (BPA) Porphyromonas species. The BPAs have an absolute haem requirement and their presence in the infected lung indicates that sufficient haem, a virulence up-regulator in BPAs, must be present to support growth. Haemoglobin from micro-blee...

BACKGROUND Lidocaine is commonly used for topical anaesthesia during fibreoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) and it can cause methaemoglobinemia. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the severity of post-bronchoscopy methaemoglobinemia while using lidocaine as a topical anaesthetic agent. METHODS We prospectively studied consecutive adult patients who underwent diagnostic FOB in our institution...

Superoxide ions (O2-) oxidized oxyhaemoglobin to methaemoglobin and reduced methaemoglobin to oxyhaemoglobin. The reactions of superoxide and H2O2 with oxyhaemoglobin or methaemoglobin and their inhibition by superoxide dismutase or catalase were used to detect the formation of superoxide or H2O2 on autoxidation of oxyhaemoglobin. The rate of autoxidation was decreased at about 35% in the prese...

Unlike any other living cell, the mature erythrocyte is unable to divide and synthesize proteins. It must therefore sustain a relatively long life (about 100 days) without renewing its stock of enzymes. If this stock is genetically altered the red cell will be more likely than any other to suffer. Also the metabolic pathways are greatly simplified in the red cell as its essential metabolites ar...