HEREDITY OF RED-BLOOD-CELLS WITH HIGH-K AND LOW GLUTATHIONE (HK LG) AND HIGH-K AND HIGH GLUTATHIONE (HK/HG) IN A FAMILY OF JAPANESE SHIBA DOGS/

Forty-two of 81 dogs from a family of Japanese Shiba dogs had red bloo d cells with a high K and a low Na concentration (HK). Of the HK dogs, 32 were high K and low glutathione (HK/HG) and in were high K and hig h glutathione (HK/HG). These variants were found in both males and fem ales. The phenotype of HK was inherited in a recessive mode as reporte d earlier. A high incidence of HK/LG dogs was found in this family, an d the phenotype was also inherited in a recessive mode. Glutamate (Glu ) influx, which defines the cellular glutathione concentration, was lo wer in HK/LG cells than in HK/HG cells (in some cases extremely low). The fact that the red blood cells of HK/LG dogs have the two varying c haracteristics of a remaining Na, K-pump and low Glu transport suggest s that 2 or more genes may be involved. Since an extremely low Glu inf lux was also found in normal low K and high Na (LK) red blood cells, t he characteristic of low Glu transport also exists in LK cells. The ph enotype of low Glu transport may also be inherited in a recessive mode . This family therefore had a very high incidence of homozygous recess ive genes which control the phenotypes for the Na, K-pump and low Glu transport.