Lii-Nao countertransport and Li leak in erythrocytes are differentially affected by membrane enrichment with cholesteryl hemisuccinate.

Enrichment of erythrocytes with cholesteryl hemisuccinate caused a marked reduction in Li leak but did not change kinetic and thermodynamic properties of Lii-Nao countertransport of either normotensive persons or patients with essential hypertension. As cholesteryl hemisuccinate was shown to affect the membrane similarly to cholesterol, it is likely that the unique thermodynamic properties of erythrocyte Lii-Nao countertransport in essential hypertension are not caused by changes in cholesterol.