title: Electrokinetic studies of urine-urea mixture across bladder membranes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We ascertain the role of urea in urine and its probable effects on the polarizable behavior of bladder interfaces.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine was systematically diluted, keeping overall volume the same. The methodology of nonequilibrium thermodynamics was used, which involves measurements of hydrodynamic permeability, electro-osmotic permeability, streaming potential and streaming currents, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Effective pressure terms (alpha 1) and polarizability terms (alpha 2) were computed, making use of higher order phenomenological coefficients, and their concentration dependence was examined. Abrupt changes in the values of alpha 1 and alpha 2 are supported by trends in higher order phenomenological coefficients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The polarizable behavior of the bladder is maintained up to certain concentrations of urea in urine and then it undergoes drastic changes. The role of the bladder in situations of improper functioning of the liver and diets without protein may provide an explanation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, St. Andrew's Post Graduate College, Gorakhpur, U.P., India.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chaube
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000378:metabolism*; D014556:Urine
chemical_list: D014508:Urea