Abnormal erythrocyte Na+ transport has been reported in patients with essential hypertension and some first-degree relatives. The two major techniques now employed for estimating Na+ transport--Na+/Li+ countertransport and Na+/K+ cotransport--are rather intricate and time consuming. Furthermore, the precise nature of the transport processes being measured is not clear. We have developed a simpl...

The efflux of 22Na from vesicles formed by axolemma fragments isolated from lobster nerves was studied in the presence and in the absence of drugs having well-known action on the sodium channels. The vesicles were equilibrated 12-14 h at 4 degrees C with 22Na in lobster solution containing 1 mM ouabain. Afterwards the suspension was divided: one portion was used as control and the others were t...

We discuss the suitability of some radioactive isotopes as volume markers in radioimmunoassays, from a radiochemical point of view. For three eligible isotopes (22Na, 60Co, and 75Se) we studied the concentration of the marker in the precipitate formed in the separation phase of radioimmunoassays. For all those kinds of separations tested (charcoal, ammonium sulfate, polyethylene glycol, and eth...

Fluoride and vanadate are known to induce the Ca(2+)-dependent K+ efflux. We found that both agents concomitantly induced the Ca(2+)-dependent 22Na+ influx. The extent of the Ca(2+)-dependent 22Na+ influx induced by vanadate was very small in human red blood cells but clearly visible in guinea-pig red blood cells. The effect of fluoride has been studied in human red blood cells only. The 22Na+ ...

We report the purification of acetylcholine receptors with active agonist-regulated cation channels from Torpedo californica electric organ tissue by five methods. In one method, previously used by others, contaminating proteins were removed from partially purified membranes by alkaline extraction, preserving membrane integrity throughout the procedure. In the other four methods, acetylcholine ...

The effect of ionizing radiation on neuronal membrane function was assessed by measurement of neurotoxin-stimulated 22Na+ uptake by rat brain synaptosomes. High-energy electrons and gamma photons were equally effective in reducing the maximal uptake of 22Na+ with no significant change in the affinity of veratridine for its binding site in the channel. Ionizing radiation reduced the veratridine-...

Na movement across the plasma membranes of confluent monolayers of monkey kidney epithelial cells (BSC-1) was studied using 22Na+ uptake and efflux techniques in the presence of 10(-4) M ouabain. In the presence of 28 mM bicarbonate, uptake was inhibited by both 10(-3) M amiloride and 10(-3) M 4,4'diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). In DIDS-pretreated cells, 10(-3) M amiloride l...