Prior work in our lab has indicated that reduced Hydroxocobalamin (B12r) can be added to human blood and is able to convert carbon monoxide (CO) into carbon dioxide. This has great potential as a direct antidote to mitigate the toxic effects of CO poisoning which is a public health risk. In the first part of our work, we use highly specific wavelengths of light and Raman spectroscopy to study changes in Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) between blood treated with oxygen and blood treated with oxygen and B12r in a flowing circuit of blood. Using Raman spectroscopy, we found that the addition of B12r hastens the conversion of the COHb Raman signals to Oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) Raman signals. In addition, the B12r absorbance of light energy within the Raman spectrum is an exploitable relationship that can be used to measure B12r presence in the blood. In part two of our study we focused on the neurobehavioral testing of rats injured by CO exposure, however, we were not able to find statistical differences in the behavioral tests between exposed and unexposed rats.

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