“…This enzyme is responsible for the reuptake and extrusion of potassium and sodium ions, respectively, during muscular activity. Na+,K+-ATPase activity was found to be significantly altered under several physiological or pathological conditions like pregnancy (Larsen, Schmidt & Kjeldsen, 1994), ageing (Turi, Mullner, Szanto & Marcsek, 1994) hypertonia (McDonough, Azuma, Hensley & Magyar, 1994), hypoor hyperthyreosis (McDonough et al 1994;Norgaard, Kjeldsen & Hansen, 1995) and diabetes mellitus (Fedorak, Cortas & Field, 1991), including experimental models of diabetes (Llewelyn, Patel, Wright & Thomas, 1991;Ottlecz, Garcia, Eichberg & Fox, 1993;Ido et al 1994;Issautier, Kovacic, Gallice, Raccah, Vague & Crevat, 1994;Schmidt, Hasselbalch, Farrell, Vestergaard & Kjeldsen, 1994). Decreased Na+,K+-ATPase activity is claimed to play a central role in many chronic complications of diabetes mellitus, such as neuropathy, retinopathy or cardiomyopathy (Greene, Yagihashi, Lattimer & Sima, 1984;Scarpini, Bianchi, Moggio, Sciacco, Fiori & Scarlato, 1993).…”