Abstract
Transport and binding of Pb2+ by human erythrocytes were examined for cell Pb contents in the 1–10 μM range, using the 203Pb isotope. Pb2+ crosses the erythrocyte membrane by the anion exchanger, and can also leave erythrocytes by a vanadate-sensitive pathway, identified with the Ca2+ pump. However, Pb2+ exit is very much less than expected from earlier experiments with resealed erythrocyte ghosts [Simons TJB (1988) J Physiol (Lond) 405:105–113] and the distribution of Pb2+ across the erythrocyte membrane is close to equilibrium. The high ratio of erythrocyte to plasma Pb seen in vivo appears to be due to the presence of a labile Pb2+-binding component present in erythrocyte cytoplasm.
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Simons, T.J.B. Lead transport and binding by human erythrocytes in vitro. Pflugers Arch. 423, 307–313 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374410
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00374410