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Science 19 October 1973:
Vol. 182. no. 4109, pp. 300 - 301
DOI: 10.1126/science.182.4109.300
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Articles

Oxygen Affinity and Electrolyte Distribution of Human Blood: Changes Induced by Propranolol

A. Agostoni 1, C. Berfasconi 1, G. C. Gerli 1, M. Luzzana 2, and L. Rossi-Bernardi 2

1 Instituto di Patologia Medica, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
2 Cattedra di Enzimologia, University of Milan

Propranolol causes a massive leakage of potassium ions from red cells, which results in an alteration of the Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium across the red cell membrane. According to such a mechanism, the presence of propranolol significantly increases the hydrogen ion activity of the interior of the red cell, causing a decreased oxygen affinity of hemoglobin according to the classical Bohr effect. No release of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate which may be bound to the membrane is thus necessary to explain the effect of propranolol on the oxygen dissociation curve of blood.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)