title: A sensitive high-temperature electrothermal atomic absorption analysis for Rb+ in erythrocytes and plasma of normal and hypertensive persons.
abstract: This method for determination of Rb+ in human plasma and erythrocytes by graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry has a sensitivity of 29 nmol/L for plasma, 12 nmol/L for erythrocytes. The detection limit is 24 nmol/L for plasma, 4.8 nmol/L for erythrocytes. This assay is approximately 30-fold more sensitive than previously reported techniques involving atomic absorption spectrophotometry, enabling use of smaller samples. The rubidium signal is linear with concentration up to 1.2 mumol/L, and addition of other cations to the matrix produces only minor alterations in the Rb+ signal. We measured plasma and erythrocytic Rb+ concentrations in healthy subjects and in patients with untreated essential hypertension. In both, our values are similar to those previously reported for healthy individuals.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010949:Plasma / Q000032:analysis; D012413:Rubidium / Q000097:blood*; D012463:Saliva / Q000032:analysis; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D012413:Rubidium