The Reduction of Methaemoglobin to Haemoglobin in the Ageing Red Cell

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Abstract
The process of ageing was analyzed in red cells on the basis of an in vivo study. After destruction of the entire red cell population with phenylhydrazine, methaemoglobin reductase activity and osmotic fragility were determined at regular intervals. With progressing age, the red cell loses its resistance. A constant decrease in methaemoglobin reductase activity occurs. This particular process of ageing might not apply to nucleated cells, since the decrease in enzymatic activity seems to result largely from loss of the nucleus with subsequent inability to synthesize protein.