Cell membrane sodium transport: a correlation between human resistance vessels and leucocytes.

Sodium efflux was studied in leucocytes and resistance vessels from omental fat from 18 subjects undergoing laparotomy. The efflux of sodium was considerably faster from resistance vessels than from leucocytes, but there was a significant correlation between total efflux rate constants in the two tissues. This was attributable to a highly significant correlation between active sodium pumping as assessed by the ouabain-sensitive sodium efflux rate constants observed in both tissues. These results indicate that intrinsic characteristics of cell membrane electrolyte transport are shared by the leucocyte and vascular smooth muscle in human beings. Therefore, leucocytes can be used to provide information about altered vascular ion handling.