title: Altered erythrocyte Na-K pump in anorectic patients.
abstract: The status of the erythrocyte sodium pump was evaluated in a group of patients suffering from anorexia nervosa and a group of healthy female control subjects. Anorectic patients showed significantly higher mean values of digoxin-binding sites/cell (ie, the number of Na-K-ATPase units) with respect to control subjects while no differences were found in the specific 86Rb uptake (which reflects the Na-K-ATPase activity) between the two groups. A significant correlation was found between relative weight and the number of Na-K-ATPase pump units (r = -0.66; P less than 0.0001). Anorectic patients showed lower serum T3 concentrations (71.3 +/- 53 ng/dL) with respect to control subjects (100.8 +/- 4.7 ng/dL; P less than 0.0005) and a significant negative correlation between T3 levels and the number of pump units (r = -0.52; P less than 0.003) was found. Our study therefore shows that the erythrocyte Na-K pump may be altered in several anorectic patients. We suggest that this feature could be interrelated with the degree of underweight and/or malnutrition.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Strocchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casimirri
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ambrosioni
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Melchionda
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Labò
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000855:Anorexia / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D004077:Digoxin / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D011868:Radioisotopes; D011955:Receptors, Drug / Q000378:metabolism; D012413:Rubidium; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011868:Radioisotopes; D011955:Receptors, Drug; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D004077:Digoxin; D012964:Sodium; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D012413:Rubidium; D011188:Potassium