Prolongation of the Intravascular Retention of Hemoglobin Modified with a Long-Chain Fatty Acid Derivative

Abstract
To develop hemoglobin (Hb) derivatives with an increased circulatory half-life, Hb was chemically modified with long chain fatty acid analogs. One compound, sodium 1-hexadecyl 6-(2-iodoacetamido)hexyl phosphate, specifically modified the Cys-93 beta residues of human hemoglobin (HbA) as determined by sulfhydryl titration analysis. The resulting modified Hb derivative, FAHbA, was isolated and was shown to have a two-fold longer circulatory half-life than native HbA in a rat low-dose acute transfusion model.