title: Decreased water and potassium content in erythrocytes in essential hypertension.
abstract: The water content in erythrocytes of subjects with borderline or established essential hypertension was measured by using gas-liquid chromatography and was found to be lower than that in normotensive controls (p less than 0.01). The water content in erythrocytes of normal controls (n = 14), borderline hypertensive subjects (n = 18), and established essential hypertensive subjects (n = 23) was (mean +/- SE) 71.0 +/- 0.2%, 69.9 +/- 0.2%, and 69.3 +/- 0.1% (vol/vol), respectively. A definite negative correlation was found between water content of erythrocytes and mean arterial pressure in normotensive and hypertensive subjects (n = 60, r = -0.59, p less than 0.001). Although there was no statistically significant between-group difference in the sodium content, the potassium content of erythrocytes from subjects with essential hypertension was significantly lower than that of normotensive controls (0.205 +/- 0.003 vs 0.222 +/- 0.004 mumol/mg dry red blood cells; p less than 0.01). There was no between-group correlation of sodium and water content in erythrocytes, but the potassium content correlated with the water content (n = 46, r = 0.49, p less than 0.001).
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000032:analysis*; D001834:Body Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium