Red blood cells from the South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) regulate volume incompletely following osmotic shrinkage and swelling in vitro.
The ability of rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) red blood cells to volume regulate in vitro has been investigated. Blood was drawn through a catheter inserted in the dorsal aorta and equilibrated to gas mixtures of different composition. Cells shrunken osmotically by increasing the extracellular osmolarity from approximately 291 mosm l(-1) (n=3) to approximately 632 mosm l(-1) (calculated) only partially regulated their volume back towards the original volume either at pH 7.51+/-0.05 (mean+/-S.D., n=5) or pH 7. 20+/-0.06 (mean+/-S.D., n=3). There was no improvement of the regulatory volume increase at low haemoglobin oxygen saturation. The limited volume restoration was inhibited by separate additions of amiloride (10(-4) M) or DIDS (10(-4) M) suggesting involvement of the Na(+)/H(+) and Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchangers. Cells that were swollen osmotically by an approximately 30% dilution of the extracellular medium also exhibited a limited ability to recover their volume. Therefore, these cells show little ability to volume regulate when exposed to in vitro conditions that shrink or swell the cell.
Koldkjaer
P
P
Centre for Respiratory Adaptation, Institute of Biology, University of Odense, Odense, Denmark.
Wang
T
T
Taylor
T W
TW
Abe
A S
AS
D017878:4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D017839:Crotalus / Q000097:blood*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009997:Osmotic Pressure
D000584:Amiloride; D017878:4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid