Abstract
Cyanate and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) both influence the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. The studies presented here concern the effects of these compounds on the sickling phenomenon. The inhibitory effect of cyanate on sickling is largely due to the fact that it increases the percentage of oxyhemoglobin S at a given oxygen tension. In addition, cyanate inhibits sickling by a mechanism that is independent of oxygenation. In this paper, we have demonstrated that the viscosity of carbamylated sickle blood was lower than that of non-carbamylated controls at the same oxygen saturation. Furthermore, carbamylation resulted in an increase in the minimum concentration of deoxy-sickle hemoglobin required for gelation.
Authors
Michael Jensen, H. Franklin Bunn, George Halikas, Yuet Wai Kan, David G. Nathan
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ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)