Studies on the permeability of erythrocytes

Abstract

Erythrocytes are suspended in different aqueous salt solns. and their changes in Na and K contents determined. Losses of Na occur in solns. of KCl and glucose, and in diluted serum, while increases of Na content occur in 1.5% NaCl. In 1.5% KCl the corpuscle-K increases by 100-200% within 5 min. Small losses of K occur in NaCl and glucose solns. and in diluted serum. The changes in Na and K concn. are uninfluenced by the presence of CaCl2 in the surrounding medium. The corpuscle-K is plotted against the concn. of K in the suspending fluid when the latter is varied between 40-600 mgm./100 ml. The resulting curve is not what would be expected on the basis of ready permeation of K and fits only approximately an adsorption curve.