Urate transport in human red blood cells. Activation by ATP.

Urate transport in human erythrocytes were measured and compared to previous observations by other authors regarding inorganic anions, especially chloride. Conclusions wwere as follows: 1. Urate influx as a function of increasing concentrations showed saturation kinetics. 2. The effects of pH and of several passive anion transport inhibitors such as dinitrofluorobenzene, sodium salicylate, sodium benzoate and phenylbutazone suggest that urate and chloride are transported by different mechanisms. 3. Urate influx seems to depend on intracellular glycolysis. The results obtained on red blood cells after glycolysis inhibition agree with those obtained on ghosts where metabolism does not take place. 4. The large drop in urate influxes into erythrocytes in the presence of a glycolysis inhibitor and of a passive ion transport inhibitor seems to argue in favour of a dual urate transport mechanism, one for passive diffusion and the other connected with glycolysis. 5. The drop in the urate influx into ghosts in the absence of ATP suggests that the latter might intervene in urate transport by human red cell membranes.