Die Enzyme des Energiestoffwechsels in Erythrocyten junger Säuglinge im Vergleich zum Erwachsenen

Summary

During the last years many differences in the enzyme pattern of red cells between newborn infants and adults were found. Until now it is not clear, whether these differences are due to the high proportion of young red cells in the blood of the newborn or whether they indicate a special red cell population in the newborn infant.

To clarify this question we measured the activities of 20 enzymes of the energy metabolism in red cells of infants between the age of 1 to 14 days and of adults. The following enzymes were measured: All glycolytic enzymes, two enzymes of the pentose phosphate shunt and two of the citrate cycle, the NADP- and the NAD-dependent glutathione reductase, the glutamate-oxalacetate transaminase, and the adenylatekinase. In the first 2 weeks of life the activities of 15 enzymes were significantly elevated. No differences were found for phosphohexokinase, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, and adenylatekinase. The activity of phosphoglucomutase was significantly reduced. It is demonstrated, that the enzyme pattern in erythrocytes of newborn and young infants differs qualitatively from that in immature and young red cells. Our results indicate, that the red cell of the newborn and young infant is a special cell type differing qualitatively from the red cell of the adult.

Zusammenfassung

Es wurden 20 Enzyme des Energiestoffwechsels in Erythrocyten junger Säuglinge und Erwachsener gemessen. Die Aktivitäten der Mehrzahl der untersuchten Enzyme weichen in den ersten Lebenswochen signifikant von den Werten des Erwachsenen ab. Diese Abweichungen sind nicht durch den während der neugeborenenperiode höheren Gehalt des Blutes an jungen Zellen zu erklären. Die Besonderheiten des Enzymmusters kennzeichnen den Erythrocyten des Neugeborenen und jungen Säuglings als eine vom Erythrocyten des Erwachsenen qualitativ verschiedene Zellform.