Studies of water permeability and proteins of erythrocyte membranes in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

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Abstract
The characteristics of water permeability of erythrocytes from 54 Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients and age‐matched controls have been determined by a pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. A decreased permeability of erythrocyte membrane in DMD was definitely found at all temperatures between 15 and 42°C, with normal values for the activation energy of water diffusion. No differences between DMD and control subjects in the pattern of erythrocyte membrane polypeptides separated by two‐dimensional electrophoresis could be detected. The findings are discussed in relation to the molecular mechanisms of water diffusion across erythrocyte membrane and the problem of erythrocyte membrane abnormalities in DMD. A new interpretation of erythrocyte membrane alterations is proposed based on the recent findings regarding the molecular pathology of DMD.