Effects of stroma-free hemoglobin solutions on isolated perfused rabbit hearts and isolated perfused rat kidneys.

"Stroma-free" hemoglobin solutions (SFH) cause hemodynamic alterations indicative of vasoconstriction. We studied vasoconstrictor activity in isolated rabbit hearts and rat kidneys of unmodified SFH and of SFH modified by pyridoxylation or glyoxylation, with or without glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The purity and chemical composition of the solutions, all prepared by other laboratories, were not characterized by us. In isolated hearts SFH prepared by conventional methods had potent vasoconstrictor activity. Pyridoxylation or purification by ion exchange chromatography did not alter the constrictor activity. Decreased constrictor activity was observed with human SFH cross-linked by glutaraldehyde treatment, or purified by affinity chromatography, and with bovine SFH purified by ultrafiltration and preparative HPLC. In isolated kidneys modified and unmodified SFH increased renal vascular resistance and decreased glomerular filtration rate with no morphologic evidence of tubular damage.