Abstract
SINCE sickle cell anæmia is possibly related to the activity of carbonic anhydrase1, it is of interest to find some way of inhibiting the enzyme without altering the resistance of the cell membrane. Carbonic anhydrase is very stable2 but its activity can easily be changed experimentally by adjusting the pH and temperature, or by adding sulphonamides or certain inorganic ions. All these factors, however, have a marked influence on hæmolysis, whereas erythrocytes seem to be rather resistant to X-rays3. We therefore decided to examine whether carbonic anhydrase could be inhibited by a dose of X-rays which would have little or no effect on hæmolysis.
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LAUWERS, A., VAN BAVINCHOVE, J. & DIERICK, W. Influence of X-Rays on the Activity of Carbonic Anhydrase in Erythrocytes and on their Hæmolytic Resistance. Nature 184, 111 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/184111a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/184111a0
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