Kinetics of 3-O-methyl glucose transport in red blood cells of newborn pigs

The glucose-permeable fetal red cells in the pig are entirely replaced by glucose-impermeable adult red cells within a month after birth. This study investigates the kinetic parameters of the glucose transport mechanism in newborn pig red cells in comparison with immature adult red cells (reticulocytes) as well as the fully matured adult erythrocytes. Influx and efflux of the nonmetabolizable 3-O-methyl glucose (3-O-M-G) in red cells of newborn pigs saturate at high substrate concentrations and exhibit typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Km values for efflux are 15.2 and 18.2 mM for 15 and 22 degrees C, respectively. Q10 computed between 10 and 26 degrees is 5.0. The energy of activation for the transport process is 34,000 cal mol-1. The effectiveness of hexoses in competing with 3-O-M-G in efflux is in the following order: D-glucose greater than D-mannose greater than D-fructose greater than D-galactose. Efflux of 3-O-M-G does not increase with 3-O-M-G or D-ribose in the medium and is reduced by 2,4-dinitroflurobenzene (DNFB), p-chloromercuriphenyl sufonic acid (PCMBS), and phloridzin. The reticulocytes are shown to possess a carrier-mediated transport but with a considerably lower transport rate. As the reticulocytes mature into normal red cells, the carrier transport mechanism is lost.