Reactions of phenyldiazene and ring-substituted phenyldiazenes with ferrihemoglobin

Two simultaneous reactions take place between ferrihemoglobin and phenyldiazene in the absence of excess ferricyanide or of oxygen, namely the reduction of ferrihemoglobin to ferrohemoglobin and the binding of an exogenous ligand by ferrihemoglobin to form a compound with the optical spectrum of a ferrihemochrome. In the presence of excess ferricyanide, only the formation of a ferrihemochrome is observed. This compound differs from the ferrihemochrome induced by salicylate or by benzoate with respect to optical spectrum, concentration of inducer, and stability. One phenyl group is bound per heme, probably as phenyldiazene. Phenyl groups are also bound to globin, but phenyldiazene does not react anaerobically with thiols. Each ring-substituted isomer of methylphenyldiazene or bromophenyldiazene yields a different ferrihemochrome spectrum with ferrihemoglobin in the presence of ferricyanide. Only reduction of ferrihemoglobin occurs with 2- or 4-diazenylbenzoic acid in the absence of excess ferricyanide, but partial formation of ferrihemochrome occurs with 4-diazenylbenzoic acid in excess ferricyanide. The ability of an aryldiazene to bind quantitatively to ferrihemoglobin parallels the ability of the corresponding arylhydrazine to induce in vivo hemolysis.