Abstract
Water channel is arbitrary in a cell membrane because most channels that transport ions and polar solutes probably also transport some water. Water channel are those pathways that (1) make a substantial contribution to the net water permeability and (2) whose osmotic water permeability, P f , is greater than its diffusional permeability, P d . This chapter describes methods for the assay of water channels in red cells. The two systems that fulfill the criteria for water channels are red cells and vasopressin- stimulated toad bladder. Both diffusion and osmotic flow through a bilayer and through cell membranes are very rapid. Basic principles, design, and the application of continuous flow measurements of P d to chemical reactions are described in the chapter. The method consists of introducing two rapidly flowing streams of reactants into a small mixing chamber. The chapter discusses a powerful nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique for measuring T d (time constant). The technique is based on the fact that water protons orient their spins in a static magnetic field and that the application of an intense radio frequency reorients the spin.
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