Role of aniline metabolites in aniline-induced hemolytic anemia.

Hemolytic anemia after aniline and aniline-related drugs such as dapsone and primaquine is thought to be mediated by active/reactive metabolite(s) formed during the hepatic clearance of the parent compounds. To determine whether any of the known metabolites of aniline contribute to the hemolytic response seen in rats given aniline, rats were infused with isologous 51Cr-labeled erythrocytes 24 hr before administration of aniline or aniline metabolites. The time course of blood radioactivity was followed in individual rats by serial sampling from the orbital sinus and the time required for blood radioactivity to fall by 50% (T50Cr) was used as a measure of in vivo erythrocyte survival. Aniline HCl produced a dose-dependent reduction in the T50Cr. Acetanilide also reduced the T50Cr, but was less potent than aniline. Aminophenols (2-, 3- and 4-) in similar doses did not significantly alter the T50Cr. In contrast, phenylhydroxylamine produced a dose-dependent decrease in the T50Cr with approximately 10 times the potency of aniline. The T50Cr was also decreased in a concentration-dependent manner for labeled erythrocytes incubated in vitro with phenylhydroxylamine, then readministered to rats, indicating a direct toxic effect of phenylhydroxylamine on erythrocytes. In addition, the area under the blood time course curve for phenylhydroxylamine plus nitrosobenzene was equivalent in rats administered equitoxic doses of aniline or phenylhydroxylamine, indicating that sufficient phenylhydroxylamine is formed in vivo during aniline clearance to account for aniline's toxicity. These results suggest that phenylhydroxylamine is the active metabolite that mediates aniline-induced hemolytic anemia.