The Effects of Guanidinosuccinic Acid and Methylguanidine on Erythrocyte Cation Transport 1

Summary

Cellular abnormalities observed in uremic patients, have been ascribed to toxins, hormones, or malnutrition. Guanidine derivatives, which accumulate in uremia, possess some toxic properties for platelets and erythrocytes. Accordingly in vitro effects of several guanidine compounds on cation transport in human erythrocytes were studied. Guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA) and methylguanidine (MGUA), in varying concentrations were incubated with normal human red blood cells. After incubations of 48 hr, the sodium and potassium content of erythrocytes exposed to these compounds did not differ from control cells. Sodium outflux and influx rate constants, determined with sodium 22, were unaffected by GSA and MGUA. We conclude that, under the conditions of these experiments, GSA and MGUA did not alter the steady state intracellular sodium and potassium content or the bidirectional sodium fluxes of human erythrocytes.