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Intracellular Water (intracellular + water)
Selected AbstractsThe taurine transporter: mechanisms of regulationACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1-2 2006X. Han Abstract Taurine transport undergoes an adaptive response to changes in taurine availability. Unlike most amino acids, taurine is not metabolized or incorporated into protein but remains free in the intracellular water. Most amino acids are reabsorbed at rates of 98,99%, but reabsorption of taurine may range from 40% to 99.5%. Factors that influence taurine accumulation include ionic environment, electrochemical charge, and post-translational and transcriptional factors. Among these are protein kinase C (PKC) activation and transactivation or repression by proto-oncogenes such as WT1, c-Jun, c-Myb and p53. Renal adaptive regulation of the taurine transporter (TauT) was studied in vivo and in vitro. Site-directed mutagenesis and the oocyte expression system were used to study post-translational regulation of the TauT by PKC. Reporter genes and Northern and Western blots were used to study transcriptional regulation of the taurine transporter gene (TauT). We demonstrated that (i) the body pool of taurine is controlled through renal adaptive regulation of TauT in response to taurine availability; (ii) ionic environment, electrochemical charge, pH, and developmental ontogeny influence renal taurine accumulation; (iii) the fourth segment of TauT is involved in the gating of taurine across the cell membrane, which is controlled by PKC phosphorylation of serine 322 at the post-translational level; (iv) expression of TauT is repressed by the p53 tumour suppressor gene and is transactivated by proto-oncogenes such as WT1, c-Jun, and c-Myb; and (v) over-expression of TauT protects renal cells from cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. [source] Effects of immersion water temperature on whole-body fluid distribution in humansACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 1 2004J. M. Stocks Abstract Aim:, In this study, we quantified acute changes in the intracellular and extracellular fluid compartments during upright neutral- and cold-water immersion. We hypothesized that, during short-term cold immersion, fluid shifts would be wholly restricted to the extracellular space. Methods:, Seven males were immersed 30 days apart: control (33.3 ° SD 0.6 °C); and cold (18.1 ° SD 0.3 °C). Posture was controlled for 4 h prior to a 60-min seated immersion. Results:, Significant reductions in terminal oesophageal (36.9 ° ± 0.1 °,36.3 ° ± 0.1 °C) and mean skin temperatures (30.3 ° ± 0.3 °,23.0 ° ± 0.3 °C) were observed during the cold, but not the control immersion. Both immersions elicited a reduction in intracellular fluid [20.17 ± 6.02 mL kg,1 (control) vs. 22.72 ± 9.90 mL kg,1], while total body water (TBW) remained stable. However, significant plasma volume (PV) divergence was apparent between the trials at 60 min [12.5 ± 1.0% (control) vs. 6.1 ± 3.1%; P < 0.05], along with a significant haemodilution in the control state (P < 0.05). Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentration increased from 18.0 ± 1.6 to 58.7 ± 15.1 ng L,1 (P < 0.05) during cold immersion, consistent with its role in PV regulation. We observed that, regardless of the direction of the PV change, both upright immersions elicited reductions in intracellular fluid. Conclusion:, These observations have two implications. First, one cannot assume that PV changes reflect those of the entire extracellular compartment. Second, since immersion also increases interstitial fluid pressure, fluid leaving the interstitium must have been rapidly replaced by intracellular water. [source] Characterization of potential stress responses in ancient Siberian permafrost psychroactive bacteriaFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Monica A. Ponder Abstract Past studies of cold-acclimated bacteria have focused primarily on organisms not capable of sub-zero growth. Siberian permafrost isolates Exiguobacterium sp. 255-15 and Psychrobacter sp. 273-4, which grow at subzero temperatures, were used to study cold-acclimated physiology. Changes in membrane composition and exopolysaccharides were defined as a function of growth at 24, 4 and ,2.5 °C in the presence and absence of 5% NaCl. As expected, there was a decrease in fatty acid saturation and chain length at the colder temperatures and a further decrease in the degree of saturation at higher osmolarity. A shift in carbon source utilization and antibiotic resistance occurred at 4 versus 24 °C growth, perhaps due to changes in the membrane transport. Some carbon substrates were used uniquely at 4 °C and, in general, increased antibiotic sensitivity was observed at 4 °C. All the permafrost strains tested were resistant to long-term freezing (1 year) and were not particularly unique in their UVC tolerance. Most of the tested isolates had moderate ice nucleation activity, and particularly interesting was the fact that the Gram-positive Exiguobacterium showed some soluble ice nucleation activity. In general the features measured suggest that the Siberian organisms have adapted to the conditions of long-term freezing at least for the temperatures of the Kolyma region which are ,10 to ,12 °C where intracellular water is likely not frozen. [source] Improved conception rates in sows inseminated with cryopreserved boar spermatozoa prepared with a more optimal combination of osmolality and glycerol in the freezing extenderANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Tetsuji OKAZAKI ABSTRACT Cryoprotectant agents (CPAs) are added in freezing extenders to prevent intracellular ice crystal formation. However, it has been reported that high dose of CPAs confer toxicity on spermatozoa. Recently, the reduction of intracellular water by a high osmolality solution has also resulted in the suppression of ice crystal formation in spermatozoa, suggesting that the optimal combination of glycerol concentration and freezing extender osmolality could contribute to the development of effective sperm cryopreservation techniques. In this study, we investigated the motility, membrane and acrosomal integrity of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa treated with freezing extender (NSF) of varying osmolalities (300, 400, 500 mOsm/kg) and final concentrations of glycerol (0.5, 1, 2, 3%). The spermatozoa that were treated at 400 mOsm/kg and 2% glycerol showed significantly higher rates of motility and membrane integrity compared with those in other treatment groups. In addition, the conception and implantation rates of swine artificially inseminated with spermatozoa frozen by the novel freezing extender (conception; 79%, implantation; 57.5%) were significantly higher than those of frozen-thawed spermatozoa treated in the conventional NSF (300 mOsm/kg, 3% glycerol) (conception; 29%, implantation; 33.8%). From these results, we concluded that the novel hyperosmotic (400 mOsm/kg) and low-glycerol (final concentration 2%) freezing extender is beneficial for the cryopreservation of boar spermatozoa. [source] |