Haemoglobin is an iron-containing oxygen-binding protein and a globin containing haem, present in red blood cells, capable of transporting oxygen from the lungs to tissues. Haemoglobin is a multifunctional molecule involved in numerous enzymatic catalysis, nitric oxide metabolism, pH regulation, and maintaining redox balance, amongst other functions.

Hemoglobin (1-50 μM) treatment of HepG2 cells for 6 hours significantly increased α1-microglobulin levels and elevated reactive oxygen species content. [3]

In the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat endotoxemia model, Hemoglobin (300 mg/kg) was intravenously administered 16 hours before LPS injection. At 24 hours post-LPS injection, Hemoglobin significantly alleviated neutrophil alveolitis, increased the expression and activity of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in rat lung tissues, and improved the survival rate of the rats.