Pyruvate prevents the ATP depletion caused by formaldehyde or calcium-chelator esters in the human red cell.

Formaldehyde released during hydrolysis of calcium-chelator esters incorporated into cells blocks glycolysis in the human erythrocyte (Tiffert, T., García-Sancho, J. and Lew, V.L. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 773, 143-156). This blockade is due to the inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by NAD+ depletion caused by enzymatic oxidation of formaldehyde coupled to NADH production. The addition of pyruvate to the incubation medium prevents or reverts ATP depletion.