Metabolic Effect of Red Blood Cells on Estrone

Abstract

Depending upon environmental conditions in vitro, mammalian red cells may either markedly increase the biologic activity of added estrone or destroy the estrone with loss of biologic activity. The enzyme system which produces biologic activation may be characterized as follows: It requires the presence of glucose or some related compound and is not destroyed on hemolysis of the red cell, though activity is lessened if hemolysis takes place without the presence of glucose. O2 is not required and has a deleterious effect. The enzyme is killed by heating 1 hr. at 63[degree]C, is completely inhibited by 20% ethanol and by a reaction pH of 4.7, and its action is retarded by 0.03 [image] salicylate and a pH of 8.9 but not by 0.1 [image] NaF or 0.001 [image] iodoacetate. The optimum pH range is 6.6-8.2. The reaction or reactions which destroy biologic activity have been produced by denaturation of the hemoglobin with Na lauryl sulfate or by the presence of cyanide or methylene blue.