The Kinetics of Glucose Transport in Human Red Blood Cells Depend on Their Metabolic State

The kinetics of glucose effl ux at 20°C has been investigated nearly 50 years ago at controlled conditions [1]. Only freshly drawn defi brinated human red blood cells were used and incubated at 37°C up to 24 hours without substrate to decrease intracellular ATP content [2] and to increase the cell volume. The increase in electrolyte content (n) and the cell volume (VH2O) was continuously measured. The glucose effl ux at 20°C was determined at three outside concentrations of 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5mM glucose by a right angular light-scattering method . Because of the dilution of the red cells 1:1000 the outside concentration of glucose is kept nearly constant. By this method the inside concentration of glucose (Si) is measured during glucose exit. For demonstration see fi gure 6.