DEPENDENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON THE TRANSMEM BRANE ION FLUXES OF SPONTANEOUSLY DIABETIC BB RAT-BLOOD CELLS

In the native blood from the abdominal aorta of 19 spontaneously diabe tic BB rats and 19 MHC identical non-diabetic LEW.1BB rats of both sex es, sodium and potassium fluxes were determined by measuring their ext racellular concentrations with ion sensitive electrodes at intervals o f 1 hour 4 times in 3 samples maintained at 1, 15 and 25 degrees C, re spectively. The passive efflux of K+ through the red blood cell membra nes from spontaneously diabetic rats (BB) was found to be significantl y higher than that of non-diabetic rats (LEW.1BB) at 1 degrees C where as the passive influx of Na+ was slightly increased. Female diabetic a nimals showed higher K+-efflux rates than the diabetic males. Although the K+-efflux was reduced at 15 and 25 degrees C, respectively, compa red with the efflux rate at 1 degrees C it remained. consistently high er in the diabetic group than the nondiabetic one.