D-glucose transport and glycolytic enzyme activities in erythrocytes of dogs, pigs, cats, horses, cattle and sheep.

The activities of D-glucose transport (D-GT) and the glycolytic enzymes hexokinase (HK) and pyruvate kinase (PK), were measured in the erythrocytes of dogs, pigs, cats, horses, cattle and sheep. The erythrocytes of dogs had the highest activities of D-GT, HK and PK, significantly higher than the activities in the erythrocytes of the herbivores. The activities of D-GT and HK in cat erythrocytes were significantly lower than in those of dogs. The differences between the activities of D-GT in the erythrocytes of the different species followed the differences in activities of HK but not those in the activities of PK or in the blood glucose concentrations. It is considered that the activity of HK provides a convenient measurement of the relative rates of glucose oxidation in erythrocytes.