Volume-dependent regulation of cation transport and polyphosphoinositide metabolism in human and rat erythrocytes: features revealed in primary hypertension.

The rate of delta mu H+ --induced erythrocyte Na+/H+ exchange is increased in both patients with essential hypertension (EH) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The increase of Na+,K(+)-cotransport was revealed in erythrocytes of SHR only. This alteration as well as a decrease of mean cell volume were observed in both young and old erythrocytes of SHR. The moderate shrinkage of rat (but not human) erythrocytes results in an increase of the rate of Na+,K(+)-cotransport. The more pronounced shrinkage of rat (but not human) erythrocytes induces the Na+/H+ exchange. These reactions are accompanied by phosphoinositide response. Activator of protein kinase C (TPA) increases delta mu H+ --induced Na+/H+ exchange both in human and rat erythrocytes but it does not modify phosphoinositide metabolism. No differences were observed in the rate of Na+/H+ exchange between TPA-treated erythrocytes of SHR and WKY. We assume that the activation of protein kinase C increases Na+/H+ exchange in primary hypertension. Increased Na+/H(+)-cotransport revealed in an experimental model of primary hypertension is probably due to the decrease of erythrocyte volume.