Potassium permeability and volume control in isolated rat hepatocytes.
(1) The occurrence of volume-regulatory responses in isolated rat hepatocytes was investigated. After hypotonic shock, cells were able to shrink back to their normal volume within 15 min. By contrast, after hypertonic shock cells kept their shrunken volume for at least 15 min. (2) Na+-alanine cotransport increases K+ permeability in rat hepatocytes (Kristensen, L.O. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255, 5236-5243). It is shown here that this effect is due to cell swelling secondary to alanine accumulation rather than to the Na+-alanine cotransport itself.
D000409:Alanine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010539:Permeability; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000409:Alanine; D011188:Potassium