The early and late effects of digoxin treatment on the sodium transport, sodium content and Na+K+- ATPase or erythrocytes.

1 Erythrocyte sodium content, sodium transport (ouabain sensitive sodium flux Eos, and ouabain sensitive efflux rate constant ERCos) sodium, potassium activated ouabain sensitive adenosine triphosphatase (Na+K+ATPase) and plasma digoxin were measured in patients during acute digitalisation and in patients who were on long-term digoxin treatment. 2 In the six patients who were studied during digitalisation, the ERCos and Na+K+ATPase activity decreased and erythrocyte sodium content increased during days 2-4 treatment, but there was no change in Eos. 3 In 39 patients on long term digoxin therapy (2-119 months) the erythrocyte sodium content was normal, but the erythrocyte Na+K+ATPase activity was higher than the control group. When the results from these 39 patients were divided according to the duration of treatment it was found that the erythrocyte sodium content was higher in patients treated for 2-4 months than in patients treated for longer periods and the erythrocyte Na+K+ATPase activity increased with duration of treatment. In eight patients (duration of treatment greater than 29 months) in whom ERCos and Eos were measured, ERCos and Eos were higher than the control group. 4 The results suggest that the effects of digoxin on erythrocytes which occur during acute digoxin treatment do not persist in the long term. 5 The possible explanation for the higher ERCos, Eos and Na+K+ATPase activity in patients treated with digoxin for more than 2 months is discussed.