A POSSIBLE ROLE OF ADENYLATE METABOLISM IN HUMAN ERYTHROCYTES .2. ADENYLATE METABOLISM IS ABLE TO IMPROVE THE ERYTHROCYTE VOLUME STABILIZATION

We constructed and studied a mathematical model that describes the con trol of cell volume, ion balance, energy and adenylate metabolism in h uman erythrocytes. According to the model, adenylate metabolism can pr ovide an effective stabilization of the cell volume over relatively la rge changes of cell parameters. For example, the steady-state value of the cell volume remains almost unchanged when the cell membrane perme ability increases by 15-fold. The cell volume also changes only slight ly over large changes in the parameters of energy metabolism. The rela xation time for the cell volume changes is about 100 hr over changes i n these parameters. In other words, the volume stabilization operates most effectively against long-term slow perturbations. (C) 1996 Academ ic Press Limited