The Use of 14C-Cyanate as a Method for Determining Erythrocyte Survival

The recent finding that cyanate reacts specifically with the amino-terminal valine of the hemoglobin molecule in an irreversible carbamylation reaction has led us to develop a 14C-cyanate method for determining erythrocyte survival. The procedure is advantageous in that erythrocytes can be labeled either in vitro or in vivo.