The inhibition of methemoglobin formation by glutamate

Glutamate has been shown to suppress considerably methemoglobin formation in rats in vivo and in isolated rat blood. The mechanism did not involve reduction of methemoglobin to hemoglobin. The effect was specific to glutamate, other amino acids tested (serine, glycine, leucine, cysteine) being ineffective. The protective effect of glutamate also applied to ferricyanide-induced methemoglobin formation. The protective effect of glutamate was maximal when the amino acid was administered simultaneously with the poison.