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Biomedical subjects

E H Bresler

Publications and source records attributed to E H Bresler.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

A model for transepithelial fluid transport.

A number of experimental observations which are not easily, or at all, accommodated within the framework of the natriocentric theory for transepithelial fluid transport are discussed. These are shown to be not merely accommodated but actually predicted by a simple model for fluid transport in which the major osmotic force leading to fluid transport derives from solutes other than NaCl. The model is then analyzed for feasibility in light of existing data relating to reflection coefficients for NaCl and hydraulic conductivity. Certain lines of evidence for specific active sodium transport are critically reexamined.

Animals

Appraisal of equations for neutral solute flux across porous sieving membranes.

General transport equations, based on irreversible thermodynamics applied to membranes without regard to their structures, are compared with results based upon specific membrane models. It is pointed out that the range of validity of the general linear transport equations of irreversible thermodynamics may be extremely small, and that attempts to extend the range by thermodynamic considerations have always involved subtle assumptions of a nonthermodynamic nature. Simple membrane models are used as diagnostic tools to pinpoint such assumptions, with particular reference to the often-concealed assumption of membrane homoporosity. It is shown that it is not possible to write an exact equation for solute flux across an inert porous membrane only in terms of the three customary membrane parameters sigma (reflection coefficient), Ps (permeability coefficient), and Lp (hydraulic conductivity), unless the membrane is strictly homoporous. Even in the linear range heteroporosity imposes a hidden condition of delta p greater than delta pi for such a three-parameter description to be valid. Useful results in the nonlinear regime require more detailed information on membrane structure than is contained in just three parameters.

Biological Transport

Effect of heteroporosity on flux equations for membranes.

An investigation is made of the possible errors in simple integrated equations for solute flux across both non-sieving and sieving porous membranes that can result from variations in the membrane structure. Detailed structural models are used, beginning with a membrane consisting of a parallel array of pores and progressing to series--parallel combinations of pore segments of various lengths and cross-sectional areas, with internal cross connections among pore segments allowed. It is shown that there are both upper and lower mathematical bounds on the possible variations that can be produced in a curve of solute flux versus volume flow by arbitrary variation in the membrane structure, subject only to certain general conditions. In particular, the flux equation for a homoporous membrane is a lower bound. The maximum deviations from this lower bound for a membrane of arbitrary structure are only moderately large, and require rather extreme pore size distributions; most distributions introduce only small errors. Implications of these results in studies of real membrane structure and in the design of experiments are discussed.

Biological Transport

Renal tubular reabsorptive response to hypernatremia.

Renal tubular reabsorptive response to rapid infusions of isotonic saline and 5% NaCl solutions were measured during brisk ethacrynic acid diuresis in anesthetized dogs. When adjustments were made for effects of variations in volume expansion, as indexed by plasma protein concentration ([Pprot]), tubular reabsorption of sodium per unit filtrate volume (TNa/GFR) was found to be significantly and positively correlated with plasma sodium concentration ([PNa]) despite hypernatremia and total body surfeit of sodium. The proportions of sodium and water reabsorbed were also homeostatically inappropriate, since the sodium concentration in the reabsorbate was somewhat in excess of that in contemporary plasma ultrafiltrate. These findings signify that glomerulotubular balance holds when the filtered load of sodium is increased by an increment in [pNa] as well as GFR. It is proposed that the moiety of tubular reabsorption (some 75% of GFR) studied here is more closely related to regulation of volume than of osmolality of sodium concentration, and the primary regulation exerted is on tubular volume reabsorption (bulk fluid reabsorption) rather than on the amount of sodium reabsorbed.

Animals

Equations for membrane transport. Experimental and theoretical tests of the frictional model.

Frictional models for membrane transport are tested experimentally and theoretically for the simple case of a solution consisting of a mixture of two perfect gases and a membrane consisting of a porous graphite septum. Serious disagreement is found, which is traced to a missing viscous term. Kinetic theory is then used as a guide in formulating a corrected set of transport equations, and in giving a physical interpretation to the frictional coefficients. Sieving effects are found to be attributable to entrance effects rather than to true frictional effects within the body of the membrane. The results are shown to be compatible with nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Some correlations and predictions are made of the behavior of various transport coefficients for general solutions.

Argon

Steady-state sieving across membranes.

The constraint of steady-state operation for sieving or ultrafiltration across membranes greatly restricts possible theoretical mechanisms. Effective sieving in the steady state requires the coexistence of a removal mechanism with the rejection mechanism. These points are illustrated without elaborate mathematics by a model of membranes in a series array with intervening compartments. This model also shows that in certain regimes the structure of the first membrane alone determines the overall sieving characteristics of the array.

Chromatography