METABOLIC CHANGES IN NORMAL AND GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE-DEFICIENT ERYTHROCYTES INDUCED BY ACETYLPHENYLHYDRAZINE *

In studies on the mechanisms of hemolysis in mammalian erythrocytes, the role of the metabo-lism of the erythrocyte in the maintenance of the structural integrity of the cell has been increasingly appreciated. Detailed knowledge of the chemical and physical events that occur in various kinds of hemolysis is not yet available, however. The discovery of a genetically determined deficiency in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydroge-nase (G6PD) in the erythrocytes of certain indi-viduals who experience hemolytic reactions upon exposure to various chemical agents (2) has pro-vided opportunities for detailed study of some as-pects of hemolysis. The life span of these enzyme-deficient erythrocytes is normal (3) or only slightly shortened (4) in the absence of exposure to he-molytic substances. Obvious hemolysis does oc-cur, however, when the subject is exposed to the fava bean, primaquine, and certain other chemi-cals. The deficiency in G6PD activity results in diminished regeneration of TPNH, which is re-quired for the conversion of GSSG to GSH (5). After the administration of primaquine to sensi-tive individuals, a marked decrease in erythrocyte GSH occurs just prior to the major hemolytic episode (6). A rapid and marked decline in the content of GSH can be produced inl vitro upon in-cubation of deficient cells with a compound such as acetylphenylhydrazine (APH) (7). The studies that are described in the present report were designed to provide more informatio