The permeability of the mammalian erythrocyte to deuterium oxide (heavy water)

✍ Scribed by Parpart, Arthur K.

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1935
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 476 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0095-9898
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.1030070202

✦ Synopsis

Since deuterium oxide differs from water in respect to its viscosity and the mobility of its molecules, it might be expected that these differences would influence its rate of penetration into living cells. Luck6 and Harvey ( ' 3 5 ) have given a detailed discussion of this possibility in their comparison of the rate of penetration of water and deuterium oxide into the egg of Arbacia. They did not, however, observe any difference in the rate of penetration of these two substances.

I n the present study, done in part on a portion of the same sample of D,O used by Luck6 and Harvey, the rate o€ hemolysis of the mammalian erythrocytes has been used in comparing the penetration of H,O and D,O. The results obtained support the view that the lower mobility and higher viscosity of D,O affects its penetration into erythrocytes.

METI-IOD

Only small quantities of D,O were available and hence a method for studying the entire course of hemolysis in small volumes of solution had to be devised. Since the hemolytic process to be studied is a rapid one a method of quickly mixing the blood with either H,O o r D,O and of recording rapid hemolysis was worked out. The apparatus used is shown in figure 1. Rapid mixing was accomplished by admitting compressed air (ca. 100 pounds pressure) into the cylinder, a, and thus pushing in the glass plunger, b, of the 1 cc. Luer