Effects of extracellular cations and ouabain on catecholamine-stimulated sodium and potassium fluxes in turkey erythrocytes.

In turkey erythrocytes, potassium influx can be inhibited by several cations whose order of effectiveness is Rb greater than Cs greater than Li greater than Mg = Ca = Ba. Extracellular sodium does not alter potassium influx. Sodium influx is not altered by any of these monovalent cations but magnesium, calcium, or barium reduced sodium influx by 30 to 40%. Potassium outflux is not influenced by extracellular sodium or potassium while sodium outflux is not influenced by extracellular potassium but increases progressively with increasing extracellular sodium. Isoproterenol stimulates potassium influx only when sodium or lithium is present in the medium and catecholamine stimulation increases progressively with increasing extracellular sodium. Isoproterenol-stimulated sodium influx is enhanced by extracellular potassium, rubidium or cesium, and catecholamine stimulation increases progressively with increasing extracellular potassium. Isoproterenol inhibits potassium outflux in a solution free of sodium and potassium, and this inhibition can be abolished by adding sodium but not by adding potassium. In solutions containing both sodium and potassium, isoproterenol stimulates potassium outflux, and this stimulation increases progressively with increasing extracellular sodium or potassium. Isoproterenol-stimulated sodium outflux is not influenced by extracellular sodium or potassium. Isoproterenol-stimulated cellular cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) is reduced slightly (25%) by removing extracellular sodium and potassium from the incubation solution, but this effect is not of sufficient magnitude to account for the effects of these cations on isoproterenol-stimulated cation transport. Ouabain does not alter the effect of extracellular sodium or potassium on isoproterenol-stimulated potassium influx; however, the glycoside potentiates (by 20 to 40%) the effects of these two cations on isoproterenol-stimulated sodium influx. Ouabain does not alter potassium outflux when the incubation solution contains both sodium and potassium; however, ouabain stimulates potassium outflux in an incubation solution free of sodium or potassium.