Biomaterial Database

Water permeability and lipid composition of toad urinary bladder: the influence of temperature. 1976

M Parisi, and A Gauna, and E Rivas

The water diffusional permeability, its activation energy and the lipid composition were studied in urinary bladders from toads adapted to different temperatures. It was observed that the unidirectional water flux greatly depends on the temperature at which the experiments are performed. This dependence is greater in the animals adapted to higher temperatures. Toads adapted to cold show strong reduction in the activation energy for water diffusion permeability (from 11.4+/-1.9 kcal-mol-1 to 4.4+/-1.1kcal-mol-1) and an increase of 30% in the amount of total lipids from bladder epithelial cells. There were no significant changes in the phospholipid/cholesterol ratio, composition of the parafinic chains or protein concentration between toads adapted to both temperatures. The possibility that water translocates through the mucosal border of the toad bladder by partitioning in the polar zone and diffusioning between the hydrocarbon chains of the membrane lipids and that cold adaptation would induce a stronger "packing" of lipids in the membrane is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
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
D001834	Body Water	Fluids composed mainly of water found within the body.	Water, Body
D002022	Bufo arenarum	A species of the true toads, Bufonidae, found in South America.	Toad, Argentine,Argentine Toad,Argentine Toads,Toads, Argentine
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
D004058	Diffusion	The tendency of a gas or solute to pass from a point of higher pressure or concentration to a point of lower pressure or concentration and to distribute itself throughout the available space. Diffusion, especially FACILITATED DIFFUSION, is a major mechanism of BIOLOGICAL TRANSPORT.	Diffusions
D000064	Acclimatization	Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old.	Acclimation
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D050356	Lipid Metabolism	Physiological processes in biosynthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) of LIPIDS.	Metabolism, Lipid