Selective Membrane Permeability Research Articles

Frustrated Lewis Pair Mediated f‐p‐d Orbital Coupling: Achieving Selective Seawater Oxidation and Breaking *OH and *OOH Scaling Relationship

The development of materials for hydrogen production via seawater electrolysis at high current densities plays a crucial role in producing renewable hydrogen energy. However, during the seawater electrolysis process, the anode inevitably undergoes chloride oxidation reaction (ClOR) due to Cl‐ adsorption, making the seawater electrolysis process difficult to sustain. Inspired by the selective permeability of cell membranes, we propose a biomimetic design of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) layers. Combining experimental results and molecular dynamics simulations, it has been demonstrated that cerium dioxide layers with FLPs sites can decompose water molecules, capture hydroxyl anions, and repel chloride ions simultaneously. DFT theoretical analysis indicates that the FLP sites regulate the Ce 4f‐O 2p‐Ni 3d gradient orbital coupling, providing additional oxygen non‐bonding (ONB) to stabilize the Ni‐O bond and optimize the adsorption strength of intermediates, thereby breaking the *OH and *OOH scaling relationship. Assembled anion exchange membrane electrolyzers exhibit an efficiency of 95.7% at a current density of 0.1 A cm‐2 and can stably operate for 250 hours at a current density of 0.2 A cm‐2.

Frustrated Lewis Pair Mediated f-p-d Orbital Coupling: Achieving Selective Seawater Oxidation and Breaking *OH and *OOH Scaling Relationship.

The development of materials for hydrogen production via seawater electrolysis at high current densities plays a crucial role in producing renewable hydrogen energy. However, during the seawater electrolysis process, the anode inevitably undergoes chloride oxidation reaction (ClOR) due to Cl- adsorption, making the seawater electrolysis process difficult to sustain. Inspired by the selective permeability of cell membranes, we propose a biomimetic design of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) layers. Combining experimental results and molecular dynamics simulations, it has been demonstrated that cerium dioxide layers with FLPs sites can decompose water molecules, capture hydroxyl anions, and repel chloride ions simultaneously. DFT theoretical analysis indicates that the FLP sites regulate the Ce 4f-O 2p-Ni 3d gradient orbital coupling, providing additional oxygen non-bonding (ONB) to stabilize the Ni-O bond and optimize the adsorption strength of intermediates, thereby breaking the *OH and *OOH scaling relationship. Assembled anion exchange membrane electrolyzers exhibit an efficiency of 95.7% at a current density of 0.1 A cm-2 and can stably operate for 250 hours at a current density of 0.2 A cm-2.

Enhancing tumor penetration: GSH-sensitive paclitaxel liposomes modified with Dermaseptin-PP

The dense structure of solid tumor tissues and the selective permeability of cell membranes impede the effective penetration of chemotherapeutic agent-loaded liposomes into tumors and their subsequent uptake by cells. Dermaseptin-PP, a cationic antimicrobial peptide, has demonstrated the ability to enhance the penetration and accumulation of drugs within solid tumors due to its unique membrane-breaking action. Based on this, we designed glutathione (GSH)-sensitive paclitaxel liposomes modified with Dermaseptin-PP. Dermaseptin-PP was modified through disulfide bonding, which could be broken at the tumor site due to high GSH levels. This cleavage resulted in the release of Dermaseptin-PP, thereby enhancing the permeability of the paclitaxel liposomes within the tumor. We found that the paclitaxel liposomes modified with Dermaseptin-PP were extensively distributed to the tumor site, and the Dermaseptin-PP modification significantly enhanced liposome penetration within the tumor. Our study significantly increased the anti-tumor efficacy of paclitaxel liposomes. Our study confirms that paclitaxel liposomes modified with Dermaseptin-PP is an effective anti-tumor therapy that enhances deep penetration into tumors. Additionally, this broadens the applications of cationic antimicrobial peptides.

Inhibition mechanism of fusarium graminearum growth by g-C3N4 homojunction and its application in barley malting

The increase of deoxynivalenol (DON) caused by Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) during the malting process is a serious safety problem. In our work, the inhibition mechanism of F. graminearum growth by g-C3N4 homojunction and its application in barley malting were studied. The reason why the growth activity of F. graminearum decreased after photocatalysis by g-C3N4 homojunction was that under visible light irradiation, a large amount of •O2− elicited by g-C3N4 homojunction destroyed the cell structure of F. graminearum, leading to the deficiency of cell membrane selective permeability and serious disorder of intracellular metabolism. The application of photocatalysis technology in malting can effectively inhibit the growth of F. graminearum and the accumulation of ergosterol was reduced by 30.55 %, thus reducing the DON content in finished malt by 31.82 %. Meanwhile, the physicochemical indexes of barley malt after photocatalytic treatment still met the requirements of second class barley malt in Chinese light industry standard QB/T 1686–2008. Our work provides a new idea for the control of fungal contamination in barley malt.

Synergistic Modulation of Mass Transfer and Parasitic Reactions of Zn Metal Anode via Bioinspired Artificial Protection Layer.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries are regarded as promising energy storage devices due to their attractive economic benefits and extraordinary electrochemical performance. However, the sluggish Zn2+ mass transfer behavior and water-induced parasitic reactions that occurred on the anode-electrode interface inevitably restrain their applications. Herein, inspired by the selective permeability and superior stability of plasma membrane, a thin UiO-66 metal-organicframework layer with smart aperture size is ex-situ decorated onto the Zn anode. Experimental characterizations in conjunction with theoretical calculations demonstrate that this bio-inspired layer promotes the de-solvation process of hydrated Zn2+ and reduces the effective contact between the anode and H2 O molecules, thereby boosting Zn2+ deposition kinetics and restraining interfacial parasitic reactions. Hence, the Zn||Zn cells could sustain a long lifespan of 1680h and the Zn||Cu cells yielded a stable coulombic efficiency of over 99.3% throughout 600 cycles under the assistance of the bio-inspired layer. Moreover, pairing with δ-MnO2 cathode, the full cells also demonstrate prominent cycling stability and rate performance. From the bio-inspired design philosophy, this work provides a novel insight into the development of aqueous batteries.

Human gasdermin D and MLKL disrupt mitochondria, endocytic traffic and TORC1 signalling in budding yeast.

Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) are the pore-forming effectors of pyroptosis and necroptosis, respectively, with the capacity to disturb plasma membrane selective permeability and induce regulated cell death. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has long been used as a simple eukaryotic model for the study of proteins associated with human diseases by heterologous expression. In this work, we expressed in yeast both GSDMD and its N-terminal domain (GSDMD(NT)) to characterize their cellular effects and compare them to those of MLKL. GSDMD(NT) and MLKL inhibited yeast growth, formed cytoplasmic aggregates and fragmented mitochondria. Loss-of-function point mutants of GSDMD(NT) showed affinity for this organelle. Besides, GSDMD(NT) and MLKL caused an irreversible cell cycle arrest through TORC1 inhibition and disrupted endosomal and autophagic vesicular traffic. Our results provide a basis for a humanized yeast platform to study GSDMD and MLKL, a useful tool for structure-function assays and drug discovery.

Physiological response of coriander plant - grown in Duba, Saudi Arabia - to NaCl stress

A pot experiment was conducted (in Duba, Saudi Arabia) to evaluate the impact of NaCl salinity (100, 200, 300 and 400 mM) on some physiological traits of coriander plants grown for 30 days in the greenhouse. Irrigating plants with saline water decreased N, P, K and Mg contents, but increased Na content in leaves. Raising salinity decreased chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations of leaves as well as Chl a to b ratio. Salinity induced a marked increase in total-soluble sugars, total-soluble proteins and proline concentrations of leaves. NaCl stress caused an increase in H2O2 and malondialdehyde (a peroxidation product) levels coupled with significant enhancement in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase), reflecting the peroxidation of membrane lipids which led to the loss of membrane selective permeability. Shoot growth (height, fresh and dry masses) and leaf number were inhibited by increasing salinity, while both root growth and root to shoot ratio were increased. Therefore, the test variety of coriander seemed to be moderate salt-tolerant and is not promising to be cultivated in salinized soils with salt levels more than 200 mM, although it has been grown until 300 mM and died at 400 mM NaCl.

Overcoming the Dilemma of Permeability and Stability of Polymersomes through Traceless Cross-Linking.

In nature, cells are highly compartmentalized into many organelles that are well separated from the rest of the cellular space by unique membrane structures, which are of crucial importance to allow cells to perform various physiological functions in such a small and crowded space. Learning from the ubiquitous membrane structures of cells and organelles has continuously inspired the development of artificial self-assembled nanostructures, with lipid vesicles (liposomes) and polymer vesicles (polymersomes) being the most representative examples. Similar to the membrane-bound structures of cells and organelles, both liposomes and polymersomes contain an aqueous interior enclosed by a bilayer membrane. Therefore, liposomes and polymersomes have been extensively investigated to mimic the fundamental structures and functions of living cells. For example, liposomes and polymersomes have been successfully engineered as nanocarriers, smart nanoreactors, artificial organelles, and so on. Notably, living cells can exchange both energy and materials with surrounding environments, benefiting from the selective permeability of lipid membranes. The permselectivity of cell membranes is thus an essential attribute of living organisms. Compared to liposomes, polymersomes have increased structural stability but low membrane permeability. Indeed, polymersomes are almost impermeable to small molecules, ions, and even water molecules. To improve the permeability of polymersomes, much effort has been devoted to the incorporation of channel proteins, the coassembly of oppositely charged block copolymers (BCPs), the development of stimuli-responsive BCPs, and so on. Despite great achievements, these approaches generally lead to decreased stability of polymersomes and, sometimes, polymersome disintegration. In this Account, we discuss our recent efforts to reconcile the stability and permeability of polymersomes via a traceless cross-linking approach. Although cross-linking reactions within bilayer membranes generally lead to decreased permeability, the traceless cross-linking approach can concurrently improve the stability and permeability of polymersomes. Specifically, stimuli-responsive polymersomes undergo either covalent cross-linking or noncovalent cross-linking reactions under specific stimuli to increase bilayer stability, while the cross-linking processes can concurrently permeabilize polymersome bilayers through cross-linking-driven hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic transitions. Notably, unlike conventional cross-linking processes requiring additional cross-linkers, the traceless cross-linking process does not involve extra cross-linking agents but takes full advantage of the in situ generated active moieties. By taking advantage of the simultaneous modulation of the stability and permeability of polymersomes via traceless cross-linking, these polymersomes can be further engineered as smart nanocarriers and nanoreactors. The robustness and generality of this approach have been validated by both extracellular and intracellular stimuli such as light irradiation, glutathione, and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, many functional groups such as fluorescent dyes and contrast agents can be integrated into this versatile platform as well, enabling the construction of theranostic nanovectors capable of responding to pathological microenvironments. This Account provides a new approach to regulating the permeability of polymersomes while maintaining their structural stability.

Research on mass transfer characteristics of the flue gas dehydration using ceramic membrane transport condensers

• Building an experimental platform for flue gas dehydration with the ceramic membrane tube. • Circulating water and purge gas are used as the cooling medium. • The operating parameters are divided into flue gas and cooling medium parameters. • Correlation analysis of permeate flux and intrinsic factors influenced by operating parameters. • Excessive transmembrane pressure difference can damage the selective permeability of ceramic membranes. The direct discharge of flue gas from the coal fired boiler can result in significant water loss. Membrane separation technology is an effective means to solve the flue gas dehydration problem. Based on the permeation characteristics of porous membrane materials, ceramic membrane method flue gas dehydration is a complex mass transfer process. In this paper, the ceramic membrane transport condensers were built with circulating water, positive pressure purge gas and negative pressure purge gas as the cooling medium, respectively. Changing flue gas parameters and cooling medium parameters, the correlation coefficients of water vapor pressure difference, transmembrane pressure difference and Reynolds number with permeate flux were investigated. The results showed that the key factors that determine the permeate flux were slightly different with the different experimental conditions. Changing the flue gas temperature or the cooling medium temperature has an obvious effect on the water vapor pressure difference. There is a significant correlation between the water vapor pressure difference and the permeate flux. Changing the flue gas flow or the cooling medium flow, the water vapor pressure difference is less variable, and the transmembrane pressure difference is not the key factor affecting the permeate flux, and the Reynolds number is the key factor affecting the permeate flux. Meanwhile, the experimental process revealed that an excessive transmembrane pressure difference can cause non-condensable gases in the flue gas to enter the cooling water tank.

English

The antifungal mechanism of potato glycoalkaloids was studied using a sensitive species, Fusarium solani. The effects of potato glycoalkaloids extract on the ultrastructure, membrane permeability, contents of reducing sugar, soluble sugar, soluble protein and mycelial fat of Fusarium solani were determined. Potato glycoalkaloids significantly affected F. solani mycelial morphology, resulting in bubbly mycelial cell walls, incomplete outer layer, discontinuous cell membrane, disorganized structures of mitochondria and other organelles, and visible leakage of cell contents. Investigation of material metabolism indicated that potato glycoalkaloids disrupted selective permeability of mycelial cell membranes; In the treatment group, the soluble protein content increased from 66.50 g mL-1to 169.51 g mL-1for 0–6 h, the soluble sugar content in extracellular fluid increased from 117.4 g mL-1to 132.5 g mL-1for 0–24 h, which were much higher than that of the control group, hindered hydrolysis of reducing sugar, affected nutrient absorption and utilization and inhibited decomposition metabolism of mycelia. Thus, potato glycoalkaloids altered the morphology of fungal mycelia, destroyed cell membrane structure, increased mycelial cell membrane permeability, and caused cell contents leakage, resulting in effective inhibition of growth and metabolism of plant pathogenic fungus and so could decrease the occurrence of plant disease.© 2021 Friends Science Publishers

Interstrains comparison of the antimicrobial effect and mode of action of a Vietnamese Cinnamomum cassia essential oil from leaves and its principal component against Listeria monocytogenes.

The antibacterial activity of a Cinnamomum cassia essential oil (EO) and of its main component trans-cinnamaldehyde (90% w/w) was examined against five Listeria monocytogenes strains. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of C.cassia EO against the five L.monocytogenes strains were identical (250µgml-1 ), while the minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) ranged between 800 and 1200µgml-1 . In order to study if this EO and trans-cinnamaldehyde altered the five strains at the membrane level, fluorescence anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) was measured in presence of different concentrations (1/2MIC, MIC, 2MIC) of these antibacterial agents. A concentration-dependent increase of fluorescence anisotropy of DPH in their presence reflecting a rigidification of the membrane was observed for the five strains. This modification of the membrane fluidity was associated with a perturbation of the selective membrane permeability, as a perturbation of the gradient between intracellular and extracellular pH was also observed.

Can Channel-Forming Antibiotics In Complex with Carriers Provide Enhanced Muscle Activity?

The presented review and experimental work provides the data regarding the selective permeability of lipid and cell membranes for ions and organic compounds under the influence of channel-forming polyene compounds with a known molecule structure. It has been shown that the polyene antibiotic levorin А2 with an aromatic structure affects a number of physicochemical parameters of lipid membranes. It was established that the permeability of lipid and cellular membranes for monovalent cations, as well as for monosugar and other neutral molecules increases under the influence of a levorin of А2. The biological activity of levorin А2 and the rate of delivery of molecules to the membranes depend on the surface tension and substrate environment of the membranes. It has been shown that in combination with levorin, dimethyl sulfoxide, and citral, the surface tension of the aqueous solutions surrounding the membrane decreases by half. Comparative data on levorin А2 effects on lipid membranes and muscle cell membranes are presented. It is assumed that levorin А2, being a channel-forming compound, can induce the formation of additional permeability channels in the membranes of muscle cells and, with intense muscle activity, enhance the transfer of cation and energy-dependent substrates through the membranes.

Selecting Collective Variables and Free-Energy Methods for Peptide Translocation across Membranes.

The selective permeability of cellular membranes is a crucial property for controlled transport into and out of cells. Molecules that can bypass the cellular machinery and spontaneously translocate across membranes could be used as therapeutics or drug carriers. Peptides are a prominent class of such molecules, which include natural and man-developed antimicrobial and cell-penetrating peptides. However, the necessary peptide properties for translocation remain elusive. Computer simulations could uncover these properties once we have a good collective variable (CV) that accurately describes the translocation process. Here, we developed a new CV, which includes a description of peptide insertion, local membrane deformation, and peptide internal degrees of freedom related to its charged groups. By comparison of CVs, we demonstrated that all these components are necessary for an accurate description of peptide translocation. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of three common methods for free-energy calculations with our CV were evaluated using the MARTINI coarse-grained model: umbrella sampling, umbrella sampling with replica exchange, and metadynamics. The developed CV leads to the reliable and effective calculation of the free energy of peptide translocation, and thus, it could be useful in the design of spontaneously translocating peptides.

Determination of Selective Layer Thickness and Permeability of PAN and PES Polymeric Filtration Membranes Using 3D FIB/SEM

Determination of Selective Layer Thickness and Permeability of PAN and PES Polymeric Filtration Membranes Using 3D FIB/SEM

Cisplatin resistance reversal in lung cancer by tumor acidity-activable vesicular nanoreactorsviatumor oxidative stress amplification

Drug resistance of cisplatin significantly limits its therapeutic efficacy in clinical applications against different cancers. Herein, we develop a novel strategy to overcome cisplatin drug resistance through sensitizing cisplatin-resistant human lung cancer cells (A549R) under amplified oxidative stress using a vesicular nanoreactor for simultaneous cisplatin delivery and H2O2 generation. We engineer the nanoreactor by the self-assembly of the amphiphilic diblock copolymers to co-deliver glucose oxidase (GOD) and cisplatin (Cis) (Cis/GOD@Bz-V). Cis/GOD@Bz-V was rationally designed to stay impermeable during blood circulation while mild acidity (pH 6.5-6.8) can activate its molecular-weight selective membrane permeability and release cisplatin locally. Diffusion of small molecules such as oxygen and glucose across the membranes can induce the in situ generation of superfluous H2O2 to promote cellular oxidative stress and sensitize A549R cells via activation of pro-apoptotic pathways. Cis/GOD@Bz-V nanoreactors could effectively kill A549R at pH 6.8 in the presence of glucose by the combination of H2O2 generation and cisplatin release. Growth of A549R xenograft tumors can be inhibited efficiently without the obvious toxic side effects via the systemic administration of Cis/GOD@Bz-V. Accordingly, the tumor acidity-activable cisplatin-loaded nanoreactors show great potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy against cisplatin-resistant cancers.

Are Levorin Channels with Selective Permeability Capable of Enhancing Muscle Activity in Complex with Carriers?

A review and experimental work is presented. In this work, we present data concerning selective permeability of lipid and cell membranes for ions and organic compounds under the action of channel-forming molecules. Polyene antibiotic (PA) levorin А2 with aromatic structure was shown to affect a range of physical-chemical parameters of lipid membranes. It was found that levorin А2 increases the permeability of lipid and cell membranes for monovalent cations as well as monosugar and other neutral molecules. The biological activity of levorin А2 and the rate of delivery of molecules to membranes depend on the surface tension and substrate environment of the membranes. It was showed that the surface tension of aqueous solutions surrounding the membrane reduces by half in the complex with levorin А2, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and citral. Comparative data on the effects of levorin А2 on lipid membranes and on muscle cell membranes are presented. It is supposed that levorin А2, being a channel-forming compound, can induce additional permeability channels in muscle cell membranes and, with intense muscle activity, enhance transport of cations and organic substrates through the membranes.

Expedited Transition in the Wettability Response of Metal Meshes Structured by Femtosecond Laser Pulses for Oil-Water Separation.

Oil-water separation using super-wetting and the selective permeability of membranes for oil or water has great ecological and economic significance. We report on the transition of wettability response, from superhydrophilic underwater-superoleophobic to superhydrophobic-superoleophilic state, by nanostructuring stainless steel and copper meshes using ultrashort femtosecond laser pulses. Our approach is environment-friendly, chemical free, and efficient as it exploits the benefit of aging the processed samples in a high vacuum environment. We optimized the laser scanning parameters, mesh pore size, and aging conditions to produce membranes exhibiting an extraordinary separation efficiency of 98% for the oil-water mixture. A variation in the water and oil contact angles for different meshes is presented as a function of the laser scanning speed. Stainless steel meshes with 150 μm pore size and copper meshes with 100 μm pore size have demonstrated an excellent wettability response for oil and water phases. Vacuum aging causes rapid chemisorption of hydrocarbons on laser-structured surfaces in the absence of water molecules, rapidly transforming the wetting state from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic.

Membrane-cross-linked polymersomes with tumor pH-tunable selective permeability as intelligent nanoreactors and drug delivery vehicles

Stimuli-responsive polymersomes have attracted great attention not only as smart drug delivery vehicles but also as intelligent artificial nanoreactors. Herein, we develop a series of membrane-cross-linked (MCL) polymersomes with cross-linking density-mediated and tumor pH-tunable selective membrane permeability for stimuli-responsive drug delivery and controllable enzymatic reaction. The diblock copolymers consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and copolymerized with methacrylate monomers containing piperidine or coumarin moieties were synthesized and self-assembled into polymersomes that can encapsulate both small molecule doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) and large molecule glucose oxidase (GOD). After photo-cross-linking, the optimized cross-linking density and pH-responsive segments endow the polymersomes with superior stability and ultra pH-sensitive selective membranes permeability upon changing pH from 7.4 to 6.5. Drug release and enzymatic reaction are triggered by pH change via the enhanced membrane permeability of the polymersomes loading DOX and GOD. With diffusion of small molecules into or out of the polymersomes including DOX, glucose, and O2, the massively generated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under the catalysis of GOD and the released DOX can synergistically kill cancer cells. Thus, the polymersomes with the tumor pH-responsive and cross-linking density-mediated membrane permeability show promising applications as a unique platform for cancer therapy.

Anticancer potency of copper(II) complexes of thiosemicarbazones

Being a structural and catalytic cofactor in a number of biological pathways, copper accumulates in tumors owing to selective permeability of the cancer cell membranes. Copper(II) ion forms the active centers in a large number of metalloproteins. The coordination of Schiff's base ligands to the metal ion results in the high extent of increase in anticancer activity. The copper(II) complexes can cleave DNA through oxidative and hydrolytic pathways, cell apoptosis via intrinsic reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediated mitochondrial pathway due to excessive production of ROS and hence, are found more active than Ni and Pt complexes. Flexible Cu(I/II) redox behavior helps the copper complexes to form more potent, clinically effective and less toxic copper based antiproliferative drugs of lower IC50 value and higher growth inhibitory activity. Copper(II) complexes of thiosemicarbazones of Isatin, Pyridine, Benzoyl pyridine, Diacetyl/Dimethyl glyoxal, Acetophenone/Acetoacetanalide, Thiazole/Pyrazole, Quinoline, Carboxybenzaldehyde, Cinnamaldehyde/Cuminaldehyde, Citronellal, Chromone, Pyridoxal, 8-Ethyl-2-hydroxytricyclo (7.3.1.02,7) tridecan-13-one, Acyl Diazines, Naphthalene, Proline, 5-Formyluracil, 2-Hydroxy-8-propyltricyclo (7.3.1.02,7) tridecan-13-one, 9-cis-Retinal, Curcumin, Helicin (Salicylaldehyde-β-D-glucoside), Thiophene carboxaldehyde, Salicylaldehyde, Iminodiacetate, and 3-Formyl-4-hydroxy benzenesulfonic acid have been found to exhibit more anticancer activity toward HCT116, MCF7, A549, U937, HeLa, HepG2, SGC-7901, A2780 cell lines than that of their corresponding thiosemicarbazones and standard topoisomerase-II inhibitors.

“PhysioLego:” Learning concepts, building, and applying physiology knowledge

When we talk about conceptual learning, we also think about certain principles in physiology that recur in various organ systems in the body. These global underlying themes are like the Lego building blocks when we look at the mechanics of physiological processes. One main?” PhysioLego” concept of building brick is the relationship between membrane selective permeability and effective osmotic pressure. This is expressed in laboratory class demonstration by saying that the tonicity of a solution is dependent on not just the osmotic concentration but also importantly on the membrane penetrability of the solute in solution. The “PhysioLego” osmotic bricks and its construction to build an integrated understanding of physiology and pathophysiology will be described in this article.