Oxygen-binding and immunological properties of complexes between dextran and animal haemoglobins

Complexes of dextran 20 000 with haemoglobins of sheep, rabbit, dog, bovine and human origin were prepared through alkylation of haemoglobin by N-bromoacetylaminoethylamino-dextran. The yields were uniformly high. Complex-formation in each case was accompanied by the disappearance of reactive thiol groups on the haemoglobin, and by an increase in the affinity of the haemoglobin for oxygen. The immunological properties of dog, rabbit and sheep dextran-haemoglobin were investigated in both homologous and heterologous species. The complexes were found to be non-immunogenic in the homologous species. In heterologous species the anti-haemoglobin response induced by each complex was generally of a similar level to that induced by the haemoglobin alone.