Erythrocyte Ca2+ pump is defective during sepsis.
Saturated Ca2+ extrusion rate through the Ca2+ pump of erythrocytes was determined by the cobalt-exposure method in normal subjects and septic patients. From 48 normal subjects, the value of Vmax of erythrocyte Ca2+ pump was 14.83 +/- 0.49 mmol/L cells/hr; from 29 sepsis patients, it was 9.49 +/- 0.59 mmol/L cels/hr, significantly (P < 0.001) lower than that from the erythrocytes of normal subjects. When the severity of sepsis was evaluated by the septic severity score (SSS), a significant correlation (P < 0.0001) was observed between the Vmax of Ca2+ pump and the patient's SSS, indicating that the inhibition of Ca2+ pump depended on the degree of the pathological development of sepsis. Since the ATP-dependent Ca2+ transport in rat liver plasma membrane is also reduced during the late stage of sepsis [Lau et al., Circ Shock 38:238-244, 1992], impairment of the activity of Ca2+ pump appears to have a general pathophysiological significance in the development of severe sepsis.
Lau
Y T
YT
Department of Physiology, Chang Gung College of Medicine and Technology, Taiwan, Tao-Yuan, Republic of China.
Hsieh
C C
CC
Liu
M S
MS
Hwang
T L
TL
Chen
M F
MF
Cheng
H S
HS
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D018805:Sepsis / Q000201:enzymology*
D000001:Calcimycin; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases