Japanese Journal of Sheep Science

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The potassium and sodium concentrations and the osmotic fragilities of red blood cells for hypotonic saline solution were investigated by the present authors. And the cation concentrations and the osmotic fragilities of red blood cells were compared among five sheep breeds, Finnish Landrace, Cheviot, Corriedale, Southdown, Suffolk and others.
The results obtained are as follows;
1) It was confirmed that the red blood cells of sheep were classified into two types, HK and LK types, according to the ratio of potassium and sodium in the red blood cells. The ratio of Na/K in la type was less than 2, and that in LK type more than 2.
2) Potassium concentrations of HK and LK types red blood cells were 65.01±1.2mEg/l and 16.24±4.08mEg/l, respectively, and sodium concentrations of both type were 65.01±1.20mEg/l. and 102.2±0.39mEg/l, respectively. Potasium concentration of LK type red blood cells in Finnish Landrace was two times higher than that of LK type red blood cells in other breeds.
3) The frequencies of appearance of HK type in each breed were as follows; Finnish Landrace : 89.7%, Cheviot : 46.7%, Southdown : 28.6%, Corriedale : 6.9% and Suffolk : 6.6%, respectively.
4) It was confirmed that the potasium types were controlled by a pair of alleles, a dominant gene and a recessive one, Ke^L and Ke^h.
5) The differences of the osmotic fragilities of red blood cells were obserued between HK and LK types, and among five sheep breeds. The resistance of HK type red blood cells for the hypotontic saline solution was higher than that of LK type red blood cells, and the osmotic fragilities among five breeds in LK type red blood cells were a tendency Finnish Landrace and Southdown> Cheviot > Corriedal e> Suffolk.

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