Rapid reduction of methemoglobin in rat bone marrow erythroid cells.

Methemoglobin reduction was shown to proceed much more rapidly in erythroid cells from rat bone marrow than in rat erythrocytes. Methemoglobin reduction in suspensions of intact, nitrite-treated bone marrow cells does not depend on the presence of glucose in the incubation mixture, even after the cells have been stored in substrate-free medium. 2-Deoxyglucose and iodoacetate prevent the reduction from proceeding to completion. The results suggest that, relative to erythrocytes, immature erythroid cells more efficiently catalyze methemoglobin reduction and more effectively store metabolites which provide electrons for this reaction.