Depletion of 18O from C18O2 in erythrocyte suspensions. The permeability of the erythrocyte membrane to CO2.

The depletion of 18O from CO2, caused by the exchange of oxygen between CO2 and water during the hydration-dehydration cycle, is catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase. This depletion process at chemical equilibrium in the presence of erythrocytes is biphasic, exhibiting a very rapid depletion rate immediately following the addition of cells to an isotonic solution containing 18O-enriched CO2, followed by a much slower depletion rate. It is hypothesized that these depletion characteristics are caused by the diffusion of labeled CO2 into erythrocytes where depletion occurs rapidly due to the large intracellular carbonic anhydrase content. Kinetic equations which describe this hypothesis are solved and a rate constant is obtained which represents the depletion of 18O in CO2 caused by the presence of red cells. These are equilibrium experiments with no net uptake or loss of CO2 in the cells. Consequently, depletion processes are not limited in rate by bicarbonate-chloride exchange or proton distribution across the membrane. The purpose of these measurements is to determine whether the rate of 18O depletion in red cell suspensions is determined by carbonic anhydrase activity in the cell or by the diffusion process by which CO2 enters the cell. This goal is achieved by partially inhibiting carbonic anhydrase with acetazolamide. The rate constant representing 18O depletion caused by the presence of red cells is unchanged, even though up to 90% of carbonic anhydrase is inhibited. From this rate constant the permeability constant of the membrane of rat erythrocytes to CO2 at 25 degrees and pH 7.4 is determined to be (7.6 +/- 1.2) X 10(-3) cm s-1 in the presence of 3.2 mM picrate, a passive anion diffusion inhibitor intended to block HCO3 -flux across the membrane. Using no picrate and allowing HCO3-flux to introduce an error in the measurements, the permeability constant is (1.6 +/- 0.4) X 10(-2) cm s-1. The permeability constants measured by this technique include the diffusion barrier to CO2 not only of the red cell membrane but also of a portion of the intracellular medium.