Characterization of the Na+, K+-ATPase activity of basolateral plasma membranes of kidney proximal tubular cells from young and old rats.

Several characteristics of the Na+, K+-ATPase activity of basolateral plasma membranes of kidney proximal tubular cells from young (3 months) and old (24 months) rats were studied. In both cases, the ATPase activity reached optimum values under the following conditions: Mg2+:ATP concentrations (mM) 5:5 (apparent Km 0.5 mM); Na+ concentration 50 mM (apparent Km 18 mM); K+ concentration 20 mM (apparent Km 2.5 mM); pH 7.2; temperature 52 degrees. The values of the apparent energy of activation of the system were similar for young and old rats in the temperature range 20-52 degrees but were 55% higher for the old rats in the temperature range 10-20 degrees.