Effect of concanavaline A on intracellular K+ and Na+ concentration and K+ transport of human lymphocytes.

Incubation of human lymphocytes with ConA causes an increase in [Na+]i and a decrease in [K+]i. This effect is not due to the experimental washing procedure, but is due to the ConA-induced increase in permeability which is not fully compensated by the increase in active transport. The ConA-induced increase in 42K+ uptake consists of an increase in leak flux which is independent of [Na+]o, and of an increase in pump flux which is dependent on [Na+]o. The increase in leak flux may be caused by increased membrane fluidity. The increase in pump flux may be produced by the increased [Na+]i and by a stimulation of Na+, K+ATPase.