Hypertension, Vol 5, 642-652, Copyright © 1983 by American Heart Association
Sodium and potassium ion transport accelerations in erythrocytes of DOC, DOC-salt, two-kidney, one clip, and spontaneously hypertensive rats. Role of hypokalemia and cell volume
J Duhm, BO Gobel and FX Beck
Sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) transport by the furosemide-sensitive
Na+-K+ transport system, the Na+-K+ pump, and the cation leak(s) were
studied in erythrocytes from DOC-water, DOC-salt, two-kidney, one clip
(Sprague-Dawley), and spontaneously hypertensive rats (Wistar-Kyoto).
Rubidium (Rb+) was used as a tracer for K+. After 4 weeks of DOC-salt
hypertension, inward K+ (Rb+) transport by the furosemide-sensitive system
was increased threefold, and the inward Na+ leak and the red cell Na+
content were elevated by about 50%. The rise in cell Na+ accelerated K+
inward and Na+ outward transport by the Na+-K4 pump, DOC- water
hypertension caused similar but less pronounced changes. In two- kidney,
one clip hypertension, the Na+ leak and the Na+-K+ pump rates were slightly
elevated, and furosemide-sensitive Rb+ uptake tended to be increased. In
spontaneously hypertensive rats, furosemide-sensitive Rb+ uptake was
accelerated by 50%. The marked hypokalemia in DOC-water and DOC-salt
hypertension was associated with a slight loss of red cell K+ and an
increase in mean cellular hemoglobin content (MCHC), indicative of cell
shrinkage. Hypokalemia induced by dietary K+ deficiency caused alterations
in red cell cation transport, content, and cell volume which were
qualitatively similar but more pronounced than those seen in DOC-salt
hypertension. Osmotic shrinkage in vitro induced a severalfold acceleration
of furosemide-sensitive Rb+ uptake, similar to that observed in rat
erythrocytes shrunken in vivo in K+- deficient states. It is concluded that
the acceleration of furosemide- sensitive K+ (Rb+) transport in
erythrocytes of mineralocorticoid hypertensive rats is largely caused by
the hypokalemia and consecutive red cell K+ loss and shrinkage,
respectively. Mean cellular hemoglobin content (MCHC) is thus a parameter
that must be considered in studies on Na+ and K+ transport across the
membrane of rat erythrocytes.