A simple technique of measuring high membrane permeabilities of human erythrocytes

A new way of measuring high diffusional membrane permeabilities of intact erythrocytes is presented using THO and 14C-glycol as test solutes. The technique combines the theoretical approach used by Redwood, Rall and Perl (J. Gen. Physiol. 64:706-729, 1974) and an experimental procedure introduced by Wang (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 73:510-513, 1951), which greatly simplifies the performance of the experiments. Permeability coefficients obtained by the new technique compare well to data derived by the approaches hitherto available. In view of its simplicity our method may be appropriate for the serial experiments necessary to characterize the transport mechanisms of water and other highly permeable lipophilic nonelectrolytes and for studies on other single cell systems.