2238 The Journal of Experimental Biology 216, 2238-2246 © 2013. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd doi:10.1242/jeb.077941 RESEARCH ARTICLE The permeability of red blood cells to chloride, urea and water Jesper Brahm Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, The Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
[email protected] SUMMARY This study extends permeability (P) data on chloride, urea and water in red blood cells (RBC), and concludes that the urea 36 – 14 3 transporter (UT-B) does not transport water. P of chick, duck, Amphiuma means, dog and human RBC to Cl , C-urea and H2O –4 –4 –1 was determined under self-exchange conditions. At 25°C and pH7.2–7.5, PCl is 0.94×10 –2.15×10 cms for all RBC species at −1 –6 –6 –1 −1 [Cl]=127–150mmoll . In chick and duck RBC, Purea is 0.84×10 and 1.65×10 cms , respectively, at [urea]=1–500mmoll . In −1 Amphiuma, dog and human RBC, Purea is concentration dependent (1–1000mmoll , Michaelis–Menten-like kinetics; K½=127, 173 and 345mmoll−1), and values at [urea]=1mmoll−1 are 29.5×10–6, 467×10–6 and 260×10–6cms–1, respectively. Diffusional water –3 –3 –3 –3 –3 –1 permeability, Pd, was 0.84×10 (chick), 5.95×10 (duck), 0.39×10 (Amphiuma), 3.13×10 (dog) and 2.35×10 cms (human). DIDS, DNDS and phloretin inhibit PCl by >99% in all RBC species. PCMBS, PCMB and phloretin inhibit Purea by >99% in Amphiuma, dog and human RBC, but not in chick and duck RBC.