Protection by ascorbate against acetylphenylhydrazine-induced Heinz body formation in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient erythrocytes.

Ascorbate was found to inhibit oxidation of oxyhaemoglobin and Heinz body formation in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient red cells incubated with acetylphenylhydrazine. It is proposed that ascorbate can substitute for the glutathione which is depleted and act as a scavenger for drug free radicals generated during the reaction. Ascorbate was protective at concentrations only a little higher than that in normal blood, and the possibility that administration of ascorbate could protect GSH deficient cells against the action of oxidative drugs such as APH is considered. A simple method of quantitatively assessing Heinz body formation by measuring the turbidity of the lysed cells is described.