Radiation-induced ouabain-insensitive K+ exchange of erythrocytes under the quasi-physiological conditions.

Erythrocyte/Potassium exchange/Radiation Erythrocytes irradiated with 60Co ƒÁ-rays took up more extracellular 42K+ and released more intracellular 42K+ during and immediately after irradiation at 37•Ž than did unirradiated control. The result of K+ transport was contrasted with the well-known K+ loss on prolonged incubation. However, total K+ and ATP levels in irradiated cells did not change significantly under the same conditions. Such radiation-induced K+ exchange was insensitive to 1 mM ouabain, an inhibitor of active transport, but sensitive to 20 mM NaF, an inhibitor of glycolysis. These results suggest that this K+ exchange is associated with glycolysis, but not with ouabain sensitive ATPase.