Alterations in Erythrocyte Plasma Membrane ATPase Activity and Adenine Nucleotide Content in a Spontaneously Diabetic Subline of the Chinese Hamster

The CHIG/Han subline of the Chinese hamster develops noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus characterized by hyperinsulinemia and different degrees of glucose intolerance. To study whether these abnormalities could affect transmembrane cation transport activity, we determined membrane ATPase activity and ATP concentrations in red blood cells of diabetes-resistant CHIA and diabetes-susceptible CHIG sublines of the Chinese hamster. Mg(2+)-ATPase activity was increased in red blood cell membranes of diabetic hamsters compared with that of nondiabetic CHIG and the diabetes-resistant CHIA animals and correlated with plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Ca(2+)-ATPase and Na+/K+ATPase activity were not significantly different between diabetic and nondiabetic hamsters, but for the Na+/K(+)-ATPase, Km was decreased and the Vmax value increased in membrane preparations from severely diabetic hamsters. Both ATP and ADP content were lower in erythrocytes from diabetic than nondiabetic hamsters. Independently of the levels of glycemia, AMP concentrations were higher in CHIG than in CHIA hamsters. While ATP/AMP ratios were found to be decreased in erythrocytes from diabetes-susceptible CHIG hamsters compared to the diabetes-resistant CHIA animals, they were significantly correlated with the levels of glycemia. Furthermore, the relationship between blood glucose levels and kidney weight in hamsters of the diabetes-susceptible CHIG subline was such, that severely hyperglycemic animals displayed the greatest increase in kidney wet weight. These results indicate that the progressive metabolic deterioration in the development of noninsulin-dependent diabetes is associated with significant changes in the activity and kinetic parameters of cellular ATPases which could probably indicate early membrane alterations which may eventually result in the late microangiopathic complications of diabetes.