The Effect of Potassium Concentration on Glycolysis in High and Low Potassium Dog Erythrocytes

The effect of potassium concentration on glycolysis was studied in the erythrocytes of Japanese Shiba dogs with high potassium (HK) and low potassium (LK) concentrations. When intracellular Na and K concentrations were changed in intact erythrocytes, lactate formation increased with increasing K concentration in both HK and LK dogs. In the reconstituted haemolysates, lactate formation, phosphofructokinase (PFK) and pyruvate kinase (PK) activities increased with increasing K concentration in both HK and LK dogs. These results suggest that glycolysis in erythrocytes of HK and LK dogs is dependent on K concentration because PFK and PK require K for their activities. In the reticulocytes of a LK dog possessing high K and low Na concentrations, PK and PFK activities were markedly elevated from the levels in mature erythrocytes and also dependent on K concentration. As in HK dog erythrocytes, high K concentration is required for glucose metabolism in LK dog reticulocytes. It is suggested that the glycolytic system of LK dog erythrocytes retains the potential to be stimulated with high K concentration even after cell maturation.