The temperature dependence of erythrocyte water diffusion permeability.

1. The activation energy of the diffusion water exchange in red blood cells increases with temperature. 2. Fetal blood has a higher activation energy for diffusion water exchange than adult blood. 3. Treatment of red cells with p-chloromercuribenzoate alters the activation energy and apparently allows a lipid and a protein pore pathway to be resolved. The permeability and activation energy of the treated cells is in the range found for lipid membranes; and the difference between treated and untreated cells, the "protein" pathway, has a diffusion activation energy comparable with that of free water. 4. A resolution of the discrepancies between the NMR methods of measuring diffusion water exchange is suggested.