Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) plants were grown for 4 weeks in saline, isoosmotic rooting substrates with different proportions of K and Na. Isoosmotic media did not affect growth (except at the highest external K concentrations) or estimates of intracellular osmotic pressure in expanding leaves (i.e. osmotic pressure of leaf sap and intracellular osmotic pressure...

Water gain in the brain consequent to hyponatremia is counteracted by mechanisms that initially include a compensatory displacement of liquid from the interstitial space to cerebrospinal fluid and systemic circulation and subsequently an active reduction in cell water accomplished by extrusion of intracellular osmolytes to reach osmotic equilibrium. Potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-), amino acids, ...

In recent years, it has become evident that the volume of a given cell is an important factor not only in defining its intracellular osmolality and its shape, but also in defining other cellular functions, such as transepithelial transport, cell migration, cell growth, cell death, and the regulation of intracellular metabolism. In addition, besides inorganic osmolytes, the existence of organic ...

Interactions between denaturants and proteins are commonly used to probe the structures of the denatured state ensemble and their stabilities. Osmolytes, a class of small intracellular organic molecules found in all taxa, also profoundly affect the equilibrium properties of proteins. We introduce the molecular transfer model, which combines simulations in the absence of denaturants or osmolytes...

Brain adaptation to hyposmolarity is accomplished by loss of both electrolytes and organic osmolytes, including amino acids, polyalcohols and methylamines. In brain in vivo, the organic osmolytes account for about 35% of the total solute loss. This review focus on the role of amino acids in cell volume regulation, in conditions of sudden hyposmosis, when cells respond by active regulatory volum...

The principal cause of mortality in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) is brain herniation resulting from intracranial hypertension caused by a progressive increase of brain water. In the present study, ex vivo high-resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the effects of ALF, with or without superimposed hypothermia, on brain organic osmolyte concentrations in relation to the...