Blood pressure and erythrocyte Na+ transport systems in a French urban male population

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Abstract
This paper reports an investigation of blood pressure (taken as a continous variable) as a function of: erythrocyte Na+ content; Na+, K+ pump; Na, K+ cotransoport and Na+, Li+ countertransport fluxes, and passive cation permeabilities in fresh erythrocytes from 129 French males who were living in an urban area and were not under treatment for any medical condition (after allowing for the effects of age, body mass index, alcohol and tobacco consumption). In contrast with previous findings a North American population [1], we were unable to confirm that blood pressure was correlated with erythrocyte Na+ content and Na+, K+-ATPase activity. Conversely, the only transport parameter correlated (negatively) with blood pressure was outward Na+, K+ cotransport [r = -0.20, P < 0.05 and r = 0.19, P < 0.05, for systolic (SAP) and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), respectively; n = 114]. When allowing for age, body mass index and alcohol consumption, the correlation coefficient between the Na+, K+ cotransport system and blood pressure increased from -0.20 to -0.28 (P < 0.01) for SAP and from -0.19 to -0.28 (P < 0.01) for DAP (n = 105). We conclude that the correlations between blood pressure and erythrocyte Na+ transport function could differ beteen North American and French (or Mediterranean) populations. In any case, a decreased pump or outward Na+, K+ cotransport activity may lead hypertensive subjects to a similar increae in cell Na+ (and Ca+2) content in the vascular wall.