NADH-methemoglobin reductase activity in the erythrocytes of newborn and adult mammals

Abstract
NADH-MR activity was measured in the erythrocytes of newborn and adult horses, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, red kangaroos, fruit bats, rats, mice, rabbits and humans. Our results fail to support an earlier hypothesis that higher NADH-MR activity may be an adaptation to increased ruminal nitrite production leading to accelerated oxidation of fetal hemoglobin.