Spectroscopic studies of oxy- and carbonmonoxyhemoglobin after pulsed optical excitation.

Abstract

The photolysis of HbO2 and HbCO has been investigated with picosecond laser techniques. Transient absorption spectra were measured in the Soret and visible regions after excitation with 353- or 530-nm pulses. The photoproducts appeared within 8 psec and exhibited considerably broadened deoxyhemoglobin-like spectra, which persisted to 680 psec. The altered spectra are attributed to the production of deoxyheme conformational and spin states that might result from the intense excitation.