The PO(2)-dependent binding of chloride to Hb decreases the Cl(-) concentration of the red blood cell (RBC) intracellular fluid in venous blood to approximately 1-3 mmol/l less than that in arterial blood. This change is physiologically important because 1) Cl(-) is a negative heterotropic allosteric effector of Hb that competes for binding sites with 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate and CO(2) and decreases oxyhemoglobin affinity in several species; 2) it may help reconcile several longstanding problems with measured values of the Donnan ratios for Cl(-), HCO, and H(+) across the RBC membrane that are used to calculate total CO(2) carriage, ion flux rates, and membrane potentials; 3) it is a factor in the change in the dissociation constant for the combined nonvolatile weak acids of Hb associated with the Haldane effect; and 4) it diminishes the decrease in strong ion difference in the RBC intracellular fluid that would otherwise occur from the chloride shift and prevent the known increase of HCO concentration in that compartment.
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, produc_, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.