Water permeability of isolated endothelial cells at different temperatures

R. A. Garrick, U. S. Ryan and F. P. Chinard Division of Science and Mathematics, Fordham University, College of Lincoln Center, New York, New York 10023. The endothelial cells provide a potential pathway for water movement across the endothelium. The endothelial cell permeability to water can, therefore, be a factor in regulation of the rate of water movement out of the vasculature. Endothelial cells are isolated from calf pulmonary artery and cultured. The cells are removed from culture, and the diffusional water permeability is determined with the linear diffusion technique. The mean membrane permeability coefficients (PDS) determined at 20, 30, 37, and 41 degrees C are 160, 273, 304, and 387 x 10(-5) cm/s, respectively. The temperature dependence of PD is calculated with the Arrhenius equation to be 7.2 kcal/mol. If these values of PD are compared with values we have reported for the osmotic permeability coefficient (PF), the PF/PD is about one at each temperature. The values of PD in the isolated endothelial cells are compared with PD for endothelial cells estimated from whole organ studies and are similar to recently reported values.