Phosphorus-31 and water proton relaxation in living erythrocytes. Application to uremia.

We measured the spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times (T1 and T2, respectively) and the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) of 31P nuclei of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in living erythrocytes. The relaxation of water protons was also studied. Phosphorus relaxation is pH-dependent due to a modification of the binding of 2,3-DPG to hemoglobin. We compared the results obtained with normal and uremic erythrocytes. In uremic erythrocytes the 31P relaxation rates are increased, but the intraerythrocytic pH variation in uremic erythrocytes cannot itself explain this increase. A possible role of dialysable substances may explain the increased relaxation rate.