Three red cell sodium transport systems in hypertensive and normotensive Utah adults

Sodium-lithium countertransport (SLC), sodium-potassium cotransport (CoT), and ouabain binding to sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na, K-ATPase) sites were measured on fresh erythrocytes from hypertensive and normotensive Utah subjects with and without a first-degree relative with hypertension. SLC was measured as Li+ efflux into NaCl and MgCl2 media from Li+-loaded cells (5-7 mM). CoT was measured by monitoring Na+ and K+ efflux from cells loaded to 20-30 mM Na+ and 20-30 mMK+. Ouabain binding was determined for fresh cells using 3H-ouabain. Subjects were selected from pedigrees that showed a prevalence of hypertension. SLC was significantly elevated in 26.5% of the hypertensive subjects (p less than 0.001) as well as in 12.8% of the normotensives with a hypertensive first-degree relative (p less than 0.05). Although elevated SLC and decreased CoT have previously been associated with hypertension, no hypertensive subject in this study exhibited both abnormalities. All subjects with elevated SLC had normal CoT. A positive correlation between SLC and CoT was observed. Few hypertensive subjects (11.8%) had decreased CoT. In the majority of subjects studied, both SLC and CoT were normal: hypertensives 61.8%, normotensives with a hypertensive first-degree relative 61.7%, and other normotensives 58.7%. The number of ouabain-binding sites was not significantly altered among hypertensives, or their relatives, even though there was a positive correlation between SLC and the number of ouabain-binding sites.