Lung vascular endothelial barrier disruption and the accompanying inflammation are primary pathogenic features of acute lung injury (ALI); however, the basis for the development of both remains unclear. Studies have shown that activation of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels induces Ca(2+) entry, which is essential for increased endothelial permeability. Here, we addressed t...

1. In erythrocytes, the extrusion of a cell sodium load is accomplished by the ouabain-sensitive sodium-potassium pump and by the frusemide-sensitive sodium-potassium cotransport, which operate against the passive sodium permeability. All these three components of the cell sodium balance were studied in essential hypertension (410 subjects were investigated). 2. An abnormally low rate of net so...

permeability is a property of porous medium that quantifies rock capacity to transmit fluids. frequently, core based permeability data are not available either because of the borehole conditions or due to the high cost of coring. for these reasons, over the years attempts have been made to estimate permeability by alternative ways. permeability is an elusive parameter in hydrocarbon reservoirs ...

Pneumonia remains one of the most common infectious causes of mortality. Patients with pneumonia develop parapneumonic effusions with a high neutrophil count as well as high protein concentrations. We hypothesized that pulmonary parenchymal bacterial infection causes a permeability change in the pleural mesothelium by inducing the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Complic...

An important component of the pathogenic process of multiple sclerosis (MS) is the blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. We recently set an in vitro model of BBB, based on a three-cell-type co-culture system, in which rat neurons and astrocytes synergistically induce brain capillary endothelial cells to form a monolayer with permeability properties resembling those of the physiological BBB. Herein ...

Numerous results on membrane lipid composition from different regions of autopsied Alzheimer's disease brains in comparison with corresponding fractions isolated from control brains revealed significant differences in serine- and ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipid as well as in glycosphingolipid content. Changes in membrane lipid composition are frequently accompanied by alterations in...

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes have gained interest in several disciplines for the rejection and concentration of various molecules. One application area for FO membranes that is becoming increasingly popular is the use of the membranes to concentrate or dilute high value compound solutions such as pharmaceuticals. It is crucial in such settings to control the transport over the membrane to avo...

Membrane permeability of an epithelial cell junction (Drosophila salivary gland) was examined with intraccllular microclectrodes and with fluorescent tracers. In contrast to the non-junctional cell membrane surface, which has a low permeability to ions (I0 -4 mho/cm2), the junctional membranc surface is highly pcrmcable. In fact, it introduces no substantial restriction to ion flow beyond that ...

The rate of uptake of propanoic acid and the cell dimensions were measured for 23 yeasts differing in their resistance to weak-acid-type preservatives. Relationships between reciprocal uptake rate, reciprocal permeability, cell volume, cell area, volume/area, and the MICs of benzoic acid and propanoic acid for the yeasts were tested by correlation analysis on pairs of parameters. The MIC of met...

Candida albicans (C.a) and Candida tropicalis (C.t) were treated with Streptococcus sanguinis bacteriocin (S.s bacteriocin), respectively; the bacteriostatic dynamics of S.s bacteriocin, their effects on cell surface hydrophobicity, leakage of inorganic phosphorus and macromolecular substance, cytosolic calcium concentration, and ultrastructure changes of Candida thallus were detected and analy...