title: Regulatory volume decrease in cultured astrocytes. II. Permeability pathway to amino acids and polyols.
abstract: The permeability of the hyposmolarity-activated pathway to amino acids and polyols in cultured astrocytes was examined following the change in rate and direction of regulatory volume decrease (RVD) when the extracellular concentration of the osmolytes was increased to reverse their intracellular-extracellular concentration gradient. Activation of the pathway by swelling would allow those permeable osmolytes to enter the cell and inhibit RVD. The pathway was found to be permeable to neutral amino acids, with beta-amino acids (beta-alanine = taurine > gamma-aminobutyric acid) more permeable than alpha-amino acids. Glycine, alanine, threonine, phenylalanine, and asparagine, but not glutamine, were permeable through this pathway. Aspartate was more permeable than glutamate, and K+ and not Na+ must be the accompanying cation. Basic amino acids were excluded. The dimension of the amino acid pore activated by hyposmolarity seems to be at the limit of glutamate-glutamine size. Influx rather than efflux of amino acids was observed when extracellular concentration was greater than intracellular concentration, with differences in the amount accumulated by cells correlating with their efficiency as RVD blockers. Influx of taurine (as representative of permeable amino acids) was inhibited by the Cl- channel blockers/exchangers 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (40%) and dipyridamole (85%) , and it is suggested that amino acids permeate through an anion channel. Sorbitol and mannitol, but not inositol, exhibited a small inhibitory effect on the later phase of RVD, whereas inositol slightly accelerated RVD.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pasantes-Morales
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Olea
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morán
mesh_terms: D017878:4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000494:pharmacology; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D051381:Rats; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D018118:Chloride Channels; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D013654:Taurine; D004176:Dipyridamole; D017878:4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid