Passive membrane properties

Davis, R. E. and Stretton, A. O. W. (1989) Passive membrane properties of motorneurons and their role in long distance signaling in the nematode Ascaris. J. Neurosci. 9 403-414. 

In the case that the passive membrane properties are fixed, one may use the Eqns. 33 and 34 to assess the isotonicity of transport. For this system, the fluxes between equal bathing media are... 

Accumulation/efflux studies can be performed on different cell systems or membrane vesicle preparations. In the accumulation assays, uptake of a probe over time, typically either fluorescent (e.g. calcein-AM (CAM) [25-27]) or radiolabeled, into the cell or membrane vesicles is measured in the presence or absence of a known P-gp inhibitor. As P-gp transports substrates out of the cells, the inhibition of the protein would result in an increase in the amount of the probe in the cell. Accumulation studies in cells that overexpress P-gp can be compared to those obtained in the parental cell line that does not have as high a level of P-gp expression. The probe in the absence of inhibitors shows lower accumulation in P-gp expressing cells than in P-gp deficient cells. Similarly, probe accumulation is increased under conditions where P-gp is inhibited such that the difference in accumulation in P-gp deficient and overexpressing cells, respectively, becomes smaller. Accumulation assays poorly distinguish substrates and inhibitors of P-gp and, as far as transport assays are concerned, are also influenced by a passive diffusion property of molecules [20]. In contrast to transport assays, both accumulation (i.e. calcein-AM assay) and ATPase assays tend to fail in the identification ofrelatively low permeable compounds as P-gp active compounds [20]. 

Because there are many different ways to combine a catalyst with a membrane, there are numerous possible classifications of the CMRs. However, one of the most useful classifications is based on the role of the membrane in the catalytic process we have a catalytically active membrane if the membrane has itself catalytic properties (the membrane is functionalized with a catalyst inside or on the surface, or the material used to prepare the membrane is intrinsically catalytic) otherwise if the only function of the membrane is a separation process (retention of the catalyst in reactor and/or removal of products and/or dosing of reagents) we have a catalytically passive membrane. The process carried out with the second type of membrane is also known as membrane-assisted catalysis (a complete description of the different CMRs configurations will be presented in a specific chapter). 

Fig. 17. a A scanning electron micrograph of square pores etched in a 3 micrometer thick silicon membrane. The pores were produced by anisotropic etching and their width on this side of the membrane is 6 pm. Cells (fibroblasts 3T3) attach to the surface and migrate over the pores, b Electrodes are placed on either side of the membrane and a constant current passed through it (mainly through the pores). The presence of cells is easily detected and movements of cell filopodia of less than 100 nm and the passive electric properties of the cell body can be determined by analysis of the signal fluctuations and impedance... 

Sometimes it is useful to apply a combination of the descriptors based on the global properties of the molecule and those based on a pharmacophoric representation. Conceptually, the global properties would better describe the imtial passive membrane permeation required to reach the site of action. Then, the specific protein interactions could be explained by the pharmacophoric descriptors. This has been demonstrated successfully in the P-glycoprotein case [26], where two processes are important for the transport passive transport to the cell and active... 

Cholesterol affects a large variety of membrane properties in animal cells (39). It is involved in modifying dynamical membrane properties by reducing passive permeation, slowing down the lateral diffusion of molecules in fluid-like membranes, and speeding up diffusion in gel-phase membranes. It also affects bilayer properties by condensing the bilayer, which changes its elastic properties and promotes the order of phospholipid acyl chains in the hydrophobic membrane core. In this manner, cholesterol develops the formation of the liquid-ordered... 

Intermingled with the neurons in the brain are a variety of other cell types. The most common of these satellite cells are glial cells. These make up virtually about one half of the total volume of the brain and exist in several forms such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and Schwann cells. Membrane properties of glial cells exhibit fundamental differences from neurons, the chief difference being their passive nature. Unlike neurons, most glial cells are not excitable and do not fire action potentials. Membrane potential measurements of... 

Dissolution of the compound also depends on its physicochemical properties notably, its aqueous solubility, ionizability (pKa), and lipophilicity (partition coefficient log Pfor neutral species or log P74 for partially ionized compounds). In addition to its effect on solubility, log Pis a crucial factor that governs passive membrane partitioning. However, while an increase in log P enhances permeability, it indicates a reduced solubility and... 

The velocity of action event propagation depends on the nerve diameter d as well as on passive electric properties of the membrane. Assuming that these electric properties are constant along the membrane, it can be shown that the depolarization wave velocity of a nerve is proportional to... 

The goal of electrical stimulation of excitable tissue is often the triggering of action potentials in axons, which requires the artificial depolarization of some portion of the axon membrane to threshold. In the process of extracellular stimulation, the extracellular region is driven to relatively more negative potentials, equivalent to driving the intracellular compartment of a cell to relatively more positive potentials. Charge is transferred across the membrane due to both passive (capacitive and resistive) membrane properties as well as through active ion channels [95]. The process... 

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