AJP - Cell Physiology, Vol 270, Issue 5 C1319-C1325, Copyright © 1996 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Volume regulation in rat brain glial cells: lack of a substantial contribution of free amino acids

I. Mountian, P. E. Declercq and W. Van Driessche
Laboratory of Physiology, K.U. Leuven, Belgium.

Volume regulation of C6 glioma cells was studied while the bath osmolality was reduced from 300 to 150 mosmol/kg. Exposure to a hyposmotic challenge elicited a typical regulatory volume decrease (RVD). No regulatory volume increase was observed upon restoration of isosmotic conditions. During a second subsequent hyposmotic challenge, the cells did not respond with RVD. High extracellular K+ concentration and the K+ channel blockers Ba2+ and quinine inhibited the RVD. RVD was abolished after Cl- was replaced by gluconate and by the Cl- channel blocker 5-nitro-2(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid. Amino acid (AA) concentration in cell and perfusate was determined. In control, cell content was only 26 mmol/l. Hypotonicity increased the efflux of AA from 0.14 to 0.60 mmol/min. During the second hyposmotic challenge, the release was 0.32 mmol/min. The data show that C6 cells adjust their volume under hyposmotic conditions but lose the ability to restore their volume during a subsequent hyposmotic treatment. K+ and Cl- are the main osmolytes involved in volume adjustment through conductive pathways. AA do not contribute substantially to cell volume regulation.

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