Comparative monovalent cation transport in neonatal and adult red blood cells

Active transport of Na and K under physiologic and maximally stressed conditions was identical in normal adult red blood cells (RBC) and term neonatal erythrocytes. These results are consistent with the previous observation that Na-K ATPase is the same in normal adult RBC and term neonatal erythrocytes. These data, however, are at variance with a previous observation that active K transport is impaired in neonatal erythrocytes. The most reasonable explanation for this difference relates to inherent problems with the use of radioisotopes which were used in previous in vitro studies of cation transport.