NMR-STUDY OF THE SELECTIVE-INHIBITION OF WATER PERMEABILITY OF RAT ERYTHROCYTE-MEMBRANE

The inhibition of water diffusion across the rat erythrocyte membrane was studied by NMR using two basically different types of inhibitory a gents: PCMB and in vivo irradiation. The contribution of lipid and pro tein to water permeability revealed the inhibitory effect of each path way. Internal contamination with tritium (25-115 mGy) reduces water pe rmeability due to protein modifications; for doses higher than 100 mGy the lipid mediated mechanism seems also to be impaired. The same proc edure enables one to assess the extent to which the higher water perme ability of rat, compared to human, erythrocyte is due to one of the tw o pathways.