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Journal of Experimental Biology 113,215-224 (1984)
Published by Company of Biologists 1984

Adrenergic Swelling of Nucleated Erythrocytes: Cellular Mechanisms in a Bird, Domestic Goose, and two Teleosts, Striped Bass and Rainbow Trout

MIKKO NIKINMAA ¹ and WRAY H. HUESTIS ²

¹ Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford,California 94305, U.S.A.; Division of Physiology, Department of Zoology, University of Helsinki: Arkadiankatu 7, SF-00100 Helsinki 10, Finland
² Department of Chemistry, Stanford University Stanford, California 94305, U.SA.

The mechanism of adrenergic swelling and associated pH changes was investigated in avian (goose) and teleost (striped bass and rainbow trout) erythrocytes.

The swelling of goose red cells was probably caused by Na⁺/K⁺/Cl^- co-transport and consecutive osmotic flow of water into the cell. Goose red cells swelled when exposed to isoproterenol in the presence of elevated extracellular K⁺, but not at physiological K⁺ concentrations. The swelling was quantitatively inhibited by furosemide, and by removing Cl^- from the incubation medium, but was not affected by DIDS.

The isoproterenol-induced swelling of fish erythrocytes may be due to loosely coupled Na⁺/H⁺ and Cl^-/HCO₃^- exchanges. Furosemide did not completely inhibit the swelling of striped bass red cells. The cell volume increased even if K⁺ was completely removed from the incubation medium. In contrast, both DIDS and amiloride treatment, and the removal of Na⁺ from the incubation medium, inhibited the volume changes. In fish red cells the swelling is associated with a clear acidification of the medium and alkalinization of the red cell contents. This phenomenon was most pronounced when the cells were treated simultaneously with DIDS and isoproterenol; the intracellular pH became higher than the extracellular one. Both amiloride and removal of Na⁺ from the incubation medium prevented the reversal of the transmembrane pH gradient in cells treated simultaneously with DIDS and isoproterenol.

Key words: Adrenalin, red cell pH, red cell volume

Accepted on April 9, 1984

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