title: Preservation of human erythrocytes for sodium-dependent lithium efflux rate measurements.
abstract: Measurement of red blood cell ion transport levels have become increasingly important as biological markers in psychiatric research. A major drawback to large-scale collaborative studies of red blood cell lithium transport rates has been the requirements of fresh cells and a transport research laboratory for performance of the assays. We have developed a method for the preservation of human red blood cells for up to five days with retention of lithium efflux characteristics. This method should find wide-scale application in collaborative studies of this marker in major affective disorders, in genetic studies of families living in diverse geographic locales, and in collaborative studies utilizing a centralized transport assay laboratory.
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D001793:Blood Preservation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000097:blood*; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium; D012964:Sodium