[Na/K transport in red blood cells from normal subjects: methodological problems (author's transl)]

In this work we present a method which evaluates the facility of applying and reproducing ion fluxes in human cells using radioactive 22Na as a tracer. Intracellular sodium concentration, rate constants for total (oKNa TOT), ouabain-sensitive (oKNa OUABs) and ouabain-insensitive (oKNa OUABins), sodium efflux and relative effluxes obtained by multiplying the rate constant by the sodium concentration were measured in the red cells of 20 normal subjects. Our results have been shown to be comparable with those obtained in other reports and show a statistically significant relationship between intracellular sodium concentration and the rate constant for active sodium efflux: one would conclude that the intracellular sodium constant probably depends on the activity of the sodium pump genetically determined in each individual. Since such a method is precise can be exactly reproduced, it can be applied to the study of cellular metabolism of different clinical disorders characterized by significant fluid and electrolyte imbalances.