Effect of N-ethylmaleimide on K transport in density-separated human red blood cells.
N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) is a sulfhydryl-reacting agent known to stimulate chloride-dependent K transport in a variety of red cells. In high K sheep red cells, NEM-induced K movements are greater in magnitude in young cells compared with old cells. We hypothesized that human red cells might respond to NEM like high K sheep red cells. To test this idea, cells of various age were exposed to 0.5 mM NEM. We found that, after a 4-h incubation, young cells lost 50% of cell K, compared with 10% K loss in older cells. K loss in all fractions was inhibited by chloride replacement or furosemide.
D001692:Biological Transport; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002470:Cell Survival; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005665:Furosemide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012413:Rubidium / Q000378:metabolism
D002712:Chlorides; D005665:Furosemide; D012413:Rubidium; D005033:Ethylmaleimide; D011188:Potassium