X-irradiation effect on human red cells: hemoglobin study by Mössbauer spectrometry

This work is a study of the radioinduced transformations undergone by intraglobular hemoglobin. Mössbauer spectrometry allows us to study in a wide range of doses the effect of X rays on deoxyhemoglobin as well as on oxyhemoglobin. Using this technique we have shown large differences between these two derivatives of hemoglobin. Deoxyhemoglobin leads to the formation of only one ferric nonheme compound while oxyhemoglobin produces this same compound as a last step after intermediary production of deoxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin, hemichromes, and hemochromes. We have also found that heat incubation and X rays have a similar effect on HbO2 except for the dissociation, which is absent in heat incubation. We have found a value for the energy needed for such a radiodissociation of HbO2 similar to that given by other authors utilizing other methods. Finally, we propose some explanations for the formation of the different compounds involved based on structural considerations.