A high-sensitivity HPLC assay for measuring intracellular Na+ and K+ and its application to Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes

摘要

The measurement of intracellular ion concentrations, and the screening of chemical agents to identify molecules targeting ion transport, has traditionally involved low-throughput techniques. Here we present a novel HPLC method that allows the rapid, high-sensitivity measurement of cell Na⁺ and K⁺ content, demonstrating its utility by monitoring the ionic changes induced in the intracellular malaria parasite by the new spiroindolone antimalarial KAE609.