Figure 4.

After an ICH [1], erythrocytes may eventually be engulfed by microglia/macrophages [2] or lyse [3] because of complement activation or energy depletion. Erythrocyte lysis will result in the release of haemoglobin [4] and other intracellular contents such as carbonic anhydrase 1

[5]. Haeme from haemoglobin is degraded by haeme oxygenase [6] to release iron. Both iron and carbonic anhydrase 1 have been implicated in inducing brain injury after ICH [7] and [8].