Uptake of chromate by rat thymocytes and role of glutathione in its cytoplasmic reduction.

1. Chromate is taken up by rat thymocytes over a wide range of extracellular chromate concentrations (0.074 +/- 5.0 mM). 2. Chromate uptake followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and was inhibited by 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid, suggesting that the anion carrier was responsible for the uptake by rat thymocytes. 3. The decrease in chromate uptake by the thiol(SH)-blocking agent diethyl maleate, the increased chromate uptake caused by the thiol-protecting agent dithiothreitol, and the reduction of glutathione/glutathione disulphide ratio indicated that the maintenance of the integrity of SH-groups greatly influenced the uptake and reduction of Cr(VI), and that glutathione may be responsible for the intracellular reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III).