Phosphate Partition in the Erythrocytes of Normal Newborn Infants and Infants with Erythroblastosis

By T. J. GREENWALT AND V. E. AYERS T HE DISTRIBUTION of phosphate compounds in acid extracts of the erythrocytes of infants has heretofore been investigated only by fractional analysis for inorganic, total and hydrolyzable phosphates.1 In our previous work hydrolysis of trichloracetic acid extracts of cord blood erythrocytes was used to characterize the following fractions : ( 1 ) labile phosphates released by 7-minute hydrolysis mainly from ATP* ( easily hydrolyzable ) ; ( 2 ) phosphates released by extending the hydrolysis to 100 minutes, attributed to adenybic acid and hexose phosphates ( hydrolyzable with difficulty ) ; and (3) the resistant phosphates representing mainly 2,3-DPG ( nonhvdrolvzable phosphate ) #{149}: ,:i The intracellular inorganic phosphate in normal cord blood was found to be higher and the easily hydrolyzable phosphate lower than in the blood of adults. Tile changes which developed during storage of infant and adult bloods 111 acid-citrate-dextrose ( ACD ) solution at 4 C. appeared to differ significantly. The fresh blood from erythroblastotic infants contained more easily hydrolyzable phosphate than that of normal infants. With storage, the increase in inorganic phosphate and the decrease in both easily and difficult hydrolyzable phosphate was significantly greater for the infants with hemolytic disease. These preliminary observations served as a basis for further investigations using pa exchange and quantitative paper chromatography. The chromatographic data are presented in this paper. The p32 uptake and distribution studies will he reported in a subsequent communication.