INCREASED GLUCOSE PERMEABILITY IN BABESIA-BOVIS-INFECTED ERYTHROCYTES

Glucose influx into bovine erythrocytes was found to be significantly increased upon infection with the parasite, Babesia bovis. The influx of glucose into the infected cells over 4 min was not saturable at high concentrations of glucose (240 mm) nor was it affected by established inhibitors of mammalian glucose transport, such as cytochalasin B and phloretin (0.1-100 μm).Glucose uptake into the parasitized cells was, however, inhibited by phloridzin (phloretin-2-β-glucoside) at concentrations over the range of 10-500 μm.Further inhibition of glucose uptake by adenosine (2.5-15mm) was found to occur in B. bovis-infected bovine erythrocytes, suggesting an interaction of adenosine with the new or altered component of glucose transport in the parasitized cells. © 1990.