Glucose-Galactose Malabsorption: A Study on the Transfer of Glucose Across the Red Cell Membrane

Abstract

The uptake of glucose by red cells from two patients with glucose-galactose malabsorption was studied and compared with that of red cells from control subjects. The penetration of glucose across the cell membranes was measured optically by monitoring alterations in cell size using a spectrophotometer. With this technique no difference was found between the patients and the control subjects, and this was interpreted as demonstrating that the mem brane abnormality of cells capable of active transport is not shared by the membranes of other cells.

Key Words:

• Carrier-mediated transfer
• erythrocytes
• glucose
• membrane transport