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A comparison of the erythrocyte (RBC) antioxidant metabolites and enzymes in nine marsupial and two monotreme species was carried out. Reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations were comparable with those reported for other marsupial and eutherian species. An important finding was that the erythrocytes of the southern hairy nosed wombat regenerated GSH faster than the erythrocytes from its close relative, the common wombat. The activities of glutathione-S-transferase, NADH-methaemoglobin reductase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), showed similar levels and extents of variation as those observed in other marsupial and eutherian species. Catalase activities in the marsupials were lower than those measured in the two monotreme species and much lower than those reported in eutherian species. A negative correlation, significant at P < 0.05, was observed between GSH-Px and catalase activities in the RBC of the marsupials. Since both these enzymes "detoxify" H2O2, there appears to be a reciprocal relationship between the activities of these enzymes in marsupial RBC.

Concentrations of ATP and DPG, activities of 10 enzymes and the glycolytic rates were measured in the erythrocytes of 11 species of marsupials and two species of monotremes. Mean DPG concentrations were greater in the erythrocytes of marsupials than those of eutherian mammals. The opposite is true of ATP. Significant findings from the results of enzyme activities were: high activity of hexokinase (7.39 +/- 0.82 EU/g Hb) in the short-beaked echidna, pyruvate kinase (37.49 +/- 1.0 EU/g) Hb in bridled nailtail wallaby and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD; 41.66 +/- 1.24 EU/g Hb) in black-striped wallaby. About 6- to 7-fold difference in the activity of G6PD levels between the two species of wombats was confirmed. Glucose phosphate isomerase activity was also shown to be twice as high in the red cells of the common wombat compared with those of the southern hairy nosed wombat. There were wide variations in the glycolytic rate among the species examined.

Hematology and the red cell enzymes, metabolites, and rates of lactate production were measured in a small marsupial, the spectacled hare-wallaby Lagorchestes conspicillatus. In common with other marsupials of similar body weights, the red cells of this wallaby were found to have low levels of ATP and higher levels of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) and produced no lactate when incubated with inosine. One of the five animals examined was suffering from anemia (hematocrit of 22.0% and hemoglobin concentration of 7.2 g/dl compared with the normal values of 46.6% and 15.8 g/dl, respectively); its red cells had almost twice the concentrations of ATP and DPG and had significantly higher activities of several enzymes of the glycolytic pathway.