Erythrocyte membrane ATPases in diabetes: effect of dikanut (Irvingia gabonensis).

The levels of the three ATPases found in the erythrocyte membrane of diabetic patients were significantly lower than normal subjects. The distribution of the enzymes was also different. Na+,K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase reflected the status of blood glucose more than Ca2+-ATPase. The ratio between two of the ATPases was sensitive to glycemic response. When dikanut, a viscous preparation, was fed to diabetics for 4 weeks, blood glucose became normal and the activities of the three ATPases increased significantly. The ratio among the enzymes also approached that of normal subjects. A relationship was found between the blood glucose level and erythrocyte membrane ATPases which, if linked to insulin binding or level, may provide a rapid inexpensive assay in diabetes research.