title: Permeability properties of a multilayer planar membrane.
abstract: The permeability properties of multilayer planar membranes of uniformly oriented lipids between a pair of cellulose sheets were investigated. The effect of the two cellulose sheets supporting the lipid membrane on the glucose or the Ca permeation was subtracted empirically, and values of 5 X 10(-6) and 8 X 10(-6) cm/s were thus obtained for the permeability coefficients of an egg yolk lecithin (egg PC)-cholesterol membrane of about 200 bilayers to Ca2+ and glucose, respectively. These values are discussed as compared with the permeability coefficients of other model membranes. The membrane permeability was moderately affected by the addition of chemical substances to egg PC membranes. It was reduced by the presence of cholesterol, but enhanced by the presence of isopropanol, n-butanol, or thymol in the same solution above a critical concentration of each compound. These and previous observations (8) suggest that a close correlation may exist between the permeability of the membrane and the orientation of the membrane lipids. The glucose permeation was drastically suppressed by the presence of Ca2+ (10 mM) in the sample solution with the membrane containing phosphatidylserine, but was not at all suppressed with the membrane of the egg PC-cholesterol mixture.
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002482:Cellulose; D002645:Chickens; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000378:metabolism; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008954:Models, Biological; D010539:Permeability; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D002482:Cellulose; D000433:1-Propanol; D002784:Cholesterol; D005947:Glucose; D002118:Calcium