Structure and function of the band 3 Cl-/HCO3- transporter in chronic respiratory failure patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study red blood cell (RBC) membrane band 3 protein structure and anion transport function in cor pulmonale patients with respiratory failure.


METHODS
Blood samples were obtained from 80 cases of cor pulmonale and 37 normal subjects (control group). The patients were divided into type I respiratory failure (Group I, n = 40) and type II respiratory failure (Group II, n = 40). The anion permeability of the erythrocyte membrane (Pcl), PO2 and PCO2 in 12 of the patients with type II respiratory failure were observed in acute stage (AS), chronic stage (CS) and recovery stage (RS). Membrane protein was analyzed by polyacrylamide electrophoresis in SDS. 55-KDa membrane domain was fractionated on 10% NaDodSO4 polyacrylamide gel column and purified further with a sephadax G-25 column. The composition of amino acids was analyzed on a Beckman 6300 Gold system amino acid analyzer. The Pcl was determined by the hypoisotonic hemolysis method.


RESULTS
The relative content of band 3 protein erythrocytic membrane, anion permeability coefficient of the erythrocyte membrane and plasma chloride in the patients with cor pulmonale with type II respiratory failure were significantly lower than those in the patients with type I respiratory failure and the control. The number of residues in the anion transport domain of the trypsin fragment of 55,000 daltons of band 3 protein showed no significant difference among the three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The structure of anion transport sites remains intact and so the reduction of the anion transport function of band 3 protein in patients with cor pulmonale with type II respiratory failure may be due to the decrease of the relative content of band 3 protein, the decrease of extraerythrocytic chloride and hypoxia.
Yang
X
X
Department of Respiratory Disease, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing.
Qian
G
G
Mao
B
B
D001457:Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D006801:Humans; D017136:Ion Transport; D011660:Pulmonary Heart Disease / Q000150:complications*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology
D001457:Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte