Activities of transport adenosine triphosphatases in erythrocyte membranes of healthy and hypertensive subjects.

The Na+, K+-ATPase activity in the erythrocyte membrane was measured in 25 untreated essential hypertensive patients and 25 age-matched healthy normotensive subjects. In addition, the Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase activity was measured in 20 hypertensive and 25 age-matched normotensive subjects. The Na+, K+-ATPase activity of healthy Chinese measured in this study was similar to the data reported in a Dutch study. We therefore could not support a theory which speculated an ethnic influence on Na+, K+-ATPase activity. Both Na+, K+-ATPase and Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase activities were slightly lower in hypertensive patients as compared with those in normotensive subjects, but the differences were not statistically significant. We concluded that the transport ATPase activities were not impaired in the erythrocyte membranes of hypertensive patients.