[Disturbed sodium and calcium exchange in erythrocytes of spontaneously hypertensive rats (author's transl)].

In red blood cells of spontaneously hypertensive and of normotensive rats intracellular NA+ activity (a(i)Na), Na+ concentration (]Na+]i) and Ca2+ activity (a(i)Ca) were measured by ion-selective electrodes and flame photometry, respectively. In spontaneously hypertensive rats a(i)Na and a(i)Ca were significantly elevated as compared with the normotensive controls, whereas [Na+]i showed no significant difference. In hypertensive animals a(i)Na, exceeded [Na+]i, in normotensive rats a(i)Na was lower than [Naf+]i. From these results it can be concluded: (1) In spontaneously hypertensive rats the transmembraneous distribution of free Na+ is altered, (2) an elevation of intracellular free Ca2+ may contribute to increased vascular contractility in hypertensive animals, (3) the described abnormalities may be caused by a lowered binding-capacity of intracellular macromolecules for Na+ and Ca2+.