Effects of several substances on passive transport of sodium ion into gamma-irradiated human erythrocytes

The suppression of radiation-induced increase of sodium uptake by warming at 37°C is said to reflect a recovery process of radiation-induced alteration of membrane permeability. SH compounds (AET, MEA and BAL) failed to affect the recovery process by warming. Bovine serum albumin caused an immediate decline of the radiation-induced sodium uptake, followed by further decline during the incubation at 0°C and 37°C. NaF caused an immediate decline of the sodium uptake and reduced upon further incubation at 37°C to the level of the non NaF-treated, irradiated cells. The immediate decline of the sodium uptake seen by albumin and NaF at a temperature as low as 0°C, together with failure of interference of the recovery process by inhibition of glycolysis and alteration of cellular ATP level, of the previons study, suggest that the effects of warming on the membrane permeability is more likely to be a physicochemical process rather than a metabolic process.