Abstract. We examined the effects of chlorpromazine on NO 3 -transport between erythrocytes (RBCs) and extracellular fluid. Chlorpromazine (10 m g / ml) did not influence NO 3 -movement in both whole blood and RBC suspension. Though an anion exchanger (AE1) inhibitor DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid, 100 mM) did not alter NO 3 -movement in whole blood, it inhibited the movement in a concentration-dependent manner in the RBC suspension. The inhibition was abrogated by plasma and albumin concentration-dependently. Our results indicated that chlorpromazine had no effect on NO 3 -transport through AE1 and that the inertness of DIDS on AE1 in whole blood is due to interference by albumin in plasma. ) concentration has been used as an index of NO formation in vivo in spite of the high susceptibility to many confounding factors (1, 2). Among these factors, the possible accumulation of NO 3 -into erythrocytes (RBCs) through anion exchanger (AE1) has received attention as a modulating mechanism of plasma NO 3 -(almost all NOx in plasma) concentration (3), although the operation of this mechanism seems to be unlikely in healthy subjects (4). Recently, Herken et al. (5) reported higher NOx concentrations in washed RBCs of patients with schizophrenia, compared with control subjects. This result was inconsistent with our experience that the washing procedure could partially or completely reduce RBC NOx to a level equivalent to that in the washing solution. Therefore, it is difficult to accept the argument advanced by Herken et al. (5) that higher NOx concentration in the blood (hence in RBCs) reflects increment of NO formation in schizophrenia. However, a possible interpretation remains for the discrepancy. Since their patients were treated with neuroleptics (5), including chlorpromazine and haloperidol (6), it is possible that these agents may prevent NO 3 -transport through AE1. To test this hypothesis, we examined whether these agents could modify NO 3 -transport across the RBC cell membrane via AE1. In a previous study (4), we could not confirm the contribution of AE1 to NO 3 -transport in whole blood using 4,4'-diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), an AE1 inhibitor. Accordingly, experiments were performed using both whole blood and RBC suspension. We also examined the cause of inertness of DIDS in whole blood.Venous blood samples were drawn from healthy volunteers of both sexes (28 -50-year-old) after obtaining written consent. The study was approved by the Human Ethics Committee of Kanazawa Medical University. The blood sample was immediately heparinized and used directly or as RBC suspension. Phosphatebuffered saline (PBS; 10 mM, pH 7.4, NOx <0.1 m M) was prepared and RBCs were washed with five volumes of the buffer followed by centrifugation. The buffy coat