Action of metabolic inhibitors on the release of intracellular enzymes from human and rat lymphocytes and human erythrocytes.

A number of inhibitors of glycolysis and uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation have been shown to increase the leakage of intracellular enzymes from preparations of rat lymphocytes and human lymphocytes and erythrocytes. The effect of each reagent on all three cell preparations is reversed in the presence of ATP in the medium. ADP is somewhat less effective. AMP exerts a slight protective effect on the human cells, but causes an increase in enzyme efflux from the rat cells. This species difference appears to be related to the concentration of adenylate kinase activity in the cells. The results are interpreted as supporting the theory that membrane permeability to enzymes and other intracellular proteins is dependent upon the energy content of the cell.