Biomaterial Database

Permeability properties of the mammalian bladder apical membrane. 1994

A Chang, and T G Hammond, and T T Sun, and M L Zeidel

Research Service, West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Massachusetts 02132.

The luminal surface of mammalian bladder is exposed to urine with a composition widely different from that of plasma that bathes the basolateral surface of epithelium. Therefore we predict that the bladder permeability barrier, which is likely located in the apical membrane (AM), will exhibit low permeabilities to water, urea, NH3, H+, and small nonelectrolytes. AM surface area increases as the bladder fills with urine and decreases during emptying, a process that involves cyclical endocytosis and reinsertion of membrane from a pool of AM endosomes (AME). Rigid-appearing plaques composed of three proteins, uroplakins, have been identified and occupy 70-90% of AM surface area. To determine permeability properties of the AM permeability barrier, we purified AME and measured their permeabilities. Rabbit urinary bladders were removed, and their apical surface was exposed to carboxyfluorescein (CF) or horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Exposure to hypotonic and then isotonic basolateral solutions induced endocytosis of luminal CF or HRP into AME. Electron microscopy of bladders after this treatment revealed HRP entrapped within AME bordered by plaques. AME were purified by differential and sucrose-gradient centrifugation, and CF-containing AME were purified 17.0 +/- 3-fold (SD) with respect to homogenate. Analysis of purified AME by flow cytometry showed that > 95% of vesicles contained CF entrapped from luminal solution and were selectively labeled with anti-uroplakin antibody. AME osmotic water permeability averaged 2.3 +/- 0.66 x 10(-4) cm/s and exhibited a high activation energy, indicating that AM contains no water channels. Permeability to urea and NH3 averaged 7.8 +/- 3.7 x 10(-7) and 1.5 +/- 0.3 x 10(-3) cm/s, respectively, which are exceptionally low and similar to permeabilities of other water-tight membranes, including toad urinary bladder and gastric mucosa. AME behaved as a single population in all permeability studies, which will permit future characterization of protein and lipid structure responsible for these unique permeability properties.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D011817	Rabbits	A burrowing plant-eating mammal with hind limbs that are longer than its fore limbs. It belongs to the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, and in contrast to hares, possesses 22 instead of 24 pairs of chromosomes.	Belgian Hare,New Zealand Rabbit,New Zealand Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbit,Rabbit,Rabbit, Domestic,Chinchilla Rabbits,NZW Rabbits,New Zealand White Rabbits,Oryctolagus cuniculus,Chinchilla Rabbit,Domestic Rabbit,Domestic Rabbits,Hare, Belgian,NZW Rabbit,Rabbit, Chinchilla,Rabbit, NZW,Rabbit, New Zealand,Rabbits, Chinchilla,Rabbits, Domestic,Rabbits, NZW,Rabbits, New Zealand,Zealand Rabbit, New,Zealand Rabbits, New,cuniculus, Oryctolagus
D001743	Urinary Bladder	A musculomembranous sac along the URINARY TRACT. URINE flows from the KIDNEYS into the bladder via the ureters (URETER), and is held there until URINATION.	Bladder,Bladder Detrusor Muscle,Detrusor Urinae,Bladder Detrusor Muscles,Bladder, Urinary,Detrusor Muscle, Bladder,Detrusor Muscles, Bladder
D002462	Cell Membrane	The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.	Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D002463	Cell Membrane Permeability	A quality of cell membranes which permits the passage of solvents and solutes into and out of cells.	Permeability, Cell Membrane
D004705	Endocytosis	Cellular uptake of extracellular materials within membrane-limited vacuoles or microvesicles. ENDOSOMES play a central role in endocytosis.	Endocytoses
D005260	Female		Females
D005452	Fluoresceins	A family of spiro(isobenzofuran-1(3H),9'-(9H)xanthen)-3-one derivatives. These are used as dyes, as indicators for various metals, and as fluorescent labels in immunoassays.	Tetraiodofluorescein
D005456	Fluorescent Dyes	Chemicals that emit light after excitation by light. The wave length of the emitted light is usually longer than that of the incident light. Fluorochromes are substances that cause fluorescence in other substances, i.e., dyes used to mark or label other compounds with fluorescent tags.	Flourescent Agent,Fluorescent Dye,Fluorescent Probe,Fluorescent Probes,Fluorochrome,Fluorochromes,Fluorogenic Substrates,Fluorescence Agents,Fluorescent Agents,Fluorogenic Substrate,Agents, Fluorescence,Agents, Fluorescent,Dyes, Fluorescent,Probes, Fluorescent,Substrates, Fluorogenic
D006180	Proton-Translocating ATPases	Multisubunit enzymes that reversibly synthesize ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE. They are coupled to the transport of protons across a membrane.	ATP Dependent Proton Translocase,ATPase, F0,ATPase, F1,Adenosinetriphosphatase F1,F(1)F(0)-ATPase,F1 ATPase,H(+)-Transporting ATP Synthase,H(+)-Transporting ATPase,H(+)ATPase Complex,Proton-Translocating ATPase,Proton-Translocating ATPase Complex,Proton-Translocating ATPase Complexes,ATPase, F(1)F(0),ATPase, F0F1,ATPase, H(+),Adenosine Triphosphatase Complex,F(0)F(1)-ATP Synthase,F-0-ATPase,F-1-ATPase,F0F1 ATPase,F1-ATPase,F1F0 ATPase Complex,H(+)-ATPase,H(+)-Transporting ATP Synthase, Acyl-Phosphate-Linked,H+ ATPase,H+ Transporting ATP Synthase,H+-Translocating ATPase,Proton-Translocating ATPase, F0 Sector,Proton-Translocating ATPase, F1 Sector,ATPase Complex, Proton-Translocating,ATPase Complexes, Proton-Translocating,ATPase, H+,ATPase, H+-Translocating,ATPase, Proton-Translocating,Complex, Adenosine Triphosphatase,Complexes, Proton-Translocating ATPase,F 0 ATPase,F 1 ATPase,F0 ATPase,H+ Translocating ATPase,Proton Translocating ATPase,Proton Translocating ATPase Complex,Proton Translocating ATPase Complexes,Proton Translocating ATPase, F0 Sector,Proton Translocating ATPase, F1 Sector,Triphosphatase Complex, Adenosine