Effect of experimental diabetes on Na/K-ATPase activity in red blood cells, peripheral nerve and kidney.

A decrease in Na/K-ATPase activity is probably involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. In human diabetes, Na/K-ATPase activity is almost always studied in red blood cells, readily accessible, and it could represent a marker of predisposition to diabetic neuropathy. But, we wanted to establish whether diabetes induced similar changes of Na/K-ATPase activity in erythrocytes, and in other tissues, especially the peripheral nerve and the kidney.