Vol.26 No.5（2004 October）：467-470

The Apoptosis and Hybrid Cell Death Induced by the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase Blocking

Rui-Cheng Xu*, Min Zhang

（Department of Cell Biology, Medical College of Chinese Peaple's Armed Police Forces , Tianjin 300162, China）

Abstract: The Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, sometimes called Na⁺ pump or Na⁺-K⁺ pump, is a transmembrane enzyme acting as an electrogenic ion transporter in the plasma membrane of all mammalian cells. The primary role of the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase is to maintain high intracellular K⁺ and low intracellular Na⁺. More importantly, accumulating evidence now endorses a close relationship between cellular K⁺ depletion and apoptosis. In some cell types, cellular K⁺ depletion induces a newly recognized "hybrid cell death" of concurrent apoptosis and necrosis in the same cells.

Key words: Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase; apotosis; hybrid cell death

*Corresponding author. Tel: 86-22-60578062, E-mail: xu_rc@sohu.com