Adenine and pyridine nucleotides during rabbit reticulocyte maturation and cell aging.

In this paper we have used a new method which allows the simultaneous extraction and HPLC determination of ATP, ADP, AMP, NADP, NADPH, NAD and NADH to evaluate the changes in concentration of these compounds during maturation of rabbit reticulocytes and cell aging. The results show a significant increase of ATP concentration, higher ATP/ADP, ATP/AMP ratios and lower NADP+/NADPH, NAD+/NADH ratios in rabbit reticulocytes when compared to mature cells. Similar results were also obtained when the whole red blood cell population was separated into fractions of increasing mean age on discontinuous gradients of Percoll-BSA. These metabolic modifications are discussed in relation to the age-dependent metabolic decline of the erythrocyte.