title: Hexose monophosphate shunt activity in erythrocytes related to cell age.
abstract: Erythrocytes were separated by age using a combination of density centrifugation and counterflow centrifugation and tested for basal activity of the hexose monophosphate shunt (HMP-shunt) as well as the methylene blue-stimulated maximal capacity by measuring CO2 production. No significant differences were found in basal HMP-shunt activity, but the maximal methylene blue-stimulated activity of old erythrocytes reached only half of the activity of the total cell population. The maximal HMP-shunt activity showed a significant correlation with hexokinase activity, but not with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in all but the youngest cells. The sensitivity to oxidative stress was tested by measuring the kinetics of pyruvate kinase isolated from erythrocytes incubated in presence and absence of methylene blue. Pyruvate kinase kinetics were affected more in the old cell population than in the total cell population: the K0.5 for phosphoenol-pyruvate increased four times in the unseparated cells and eight times in old cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ouwerkerk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Damen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Staal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rijksen
mesh_terms: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002469:Cell Separation; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D006593:Hexokinase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008751:Methylene Blue; D010427:Pentose Phosphate Pathway / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase; D006593:Hexokinase; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase; D008751:Methylene Blue