Effect of temperature on deoxygenation rate of human red cells

Abstract

The rate of deoxygenation of oxygenated human red cell suspensions was measured in vitro as a function of temperature from 7 to 42 C at constant Pco2 in a stopped-flow rapid-reaction apparatus. There is a linear relationship between the deoxygenation rate constant, kc, and the reciprocal of the absolute temperature; the “activation energy” of 16,743 cal/mole agreed reasonably well with that predicted by theory, 14, 565. At 42 C deoxygenation was half complete in 0.04 sec while at 7 C the half-time was slowed to 0.8 sec. If the red cell transit time in tissues cooled to 7 C approximates the normally accepted value at 37 C of about 1 sec, the rate of red cell deoxygenation would be a limiting factor in the supply of oxygen to the peripheral tissues in the cold. capillary diffusion; respiration; stopped-flow rapid-reaction apparatus Submitted on May 14, 1964