title: The permeability of the human red cell to deuterium oxide (heavy water).
abstract: Using a stopped-flow device, the osmotic water permeability of human red cells to D2O and H2O was studied as a function of temperature and under the influence of the sulfhydryl reagent paracholoromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (PCMBS), an inhibitor of water transport. The ratio, permeability (D2O)/permeability (H2O) at each temperature can be predicted simply by assuming that permeability varies inversely with macroscopic viscosity. When water permebility is inhibited with PCMBS, this dependency on viscosity vanishes; the inhibited permeabilities in D2O and H2O are indistinguishable.
mesh_terms: D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D003903:Deuterium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013696:Temperature; D014783:Viscosity; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D003903:Deuterium