S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and adenosine deaminase activities in human red cell ageing.

The enzyme activities of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, adenosine deaminase and pyruvate kinase were determined in normal human erythrocytes subpopulations of different ages separated by centrifugation on a discontinuous Percoll:NaCl density gradient. The levels of S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase activity were found to undergo a sharp decrease with red cell ageing. Adenosine deaminase activities were, however, less critically dependent on erythrocyte age.