Cell Volume Regulation

This volume presents a unique compilation of reviews on cell volume regulation in health and disease, with contributions from leading experts in the field. The topics covered include mechanisms and signaling of cell volume regulation and the effect of cell volume on cell function, with special emphasis on ion channels and transporters, kinases and gene expression. Several chapters elaborate on how cell volume regulatory mechanisms participate in the regulation of epithelial transport, urinary concentration, metabolism, migration, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Last but not least, this publication is an excellent guide to the role of cell volume in the pathophysiology of hypercatabolism, diabetes mellitus, brain edema, hemoglobinopathies, tumor growth and metastasis, to name just a few. Providing deeper insights into an exciting area of research which is also of clinical relevance, this publication is a valuable addition to the library of those interested in cell volume regulation.

The ability to regulate cell volume in the face of osmotic challenge is one of the most fundamental of cellular homeostatic mechanisms. Cellular and Molecular Physiology of Cell Volume Regulation is an integrated collection of articles describing key aspects of cell volume control. The book has been organized around concepts and cellular/molecular processes rather than around mechanisms of volume regulation in specific cell types in order to make it more accessible to a multidisciplinary audience of students, instructors, and researchers.

It is essential for the survival of cells to maintain their volume within certain limits: Profound alterations interfere with the integrity of the cell membrane and the cytoskeletal architecture. Cells use various methods to adjust osmotic pressure gradients which in turn govern water movement across cell membranes. The most rapid and efficient means is ion transport across the cell membrane. However, to avoid excessive alterations of intracellular ion concentration, cells additionally employ organic osmolytes for osmoregulation and modify their metabolism, thus generating or disposing osmotically active organic substances. But a given cell uses only part of the cell volume regulatory mechanisms at their disposal: The large repertoire available allows for a selection of those which have the least untoward impact on cell function.The present book is a collection of reviews on the various aspects of cell volume regulation, written by internationally leading experts, and constitutes a valuable addition to the library of those working in the field.

One of the prerequisites for survival is the ability of cells to maintain their volume. Thus, during the course of evolution cells have "learned" a variety of strategies to achieve volume homeostasis. This volume regulatory machinery involves regulation of both, cellular metabolism and cellular transport and is exploited by hormones and transmitters to regulate cellularfunction. This book to illustrates the complex interplay of cell volume regulatory mechanisms and cellular function in a variety of tissues. However, our knowledge is still far from being conclusive, and the present collection of reviews is thought to foster further experimental efforts to unravel the role of cell volume in the integrated function of cells.

This presentation describes various aspects of the regulation of tissue oxygenation, including the roles of the circulatory system, respiratory system, and blood, the carrier of oxygen within these components of the cardiorespiratory system. The respiratory system takes oxygen from the atmosphere and transports it by diffusion from the air in the alveoli to the blood flowing through the pulmonary capillaries. The cardiovascular system then moves the oxygenated blood from the heart to the microcirculation of the various organs by convection, where oxygen is released from hemoglobin in the red blood cells and moves to the parenchymal cells of each tissue by diffusion. Oxygen that has diffused into cells is then utilized in the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of all cells. The mitochondria are able to produce ATP until the oxygen tension or PO2 on the cell surface falls to a critical level of about 4–5 mm Hg. Thus, in order to meet the energetic needs of cells, it is important to maintain a continuous supply of oxygen to the mitochondria at or above the critical PO2 . In order to accomplish this desired outcome, the cardiorespiratory system, including the blood, must be capable of regulation to ensure survival of all tissues under a wide range of circumstances. The purpose of this presentation is to provide basic information about the operation and regulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the properties of the blood and parenchymal cells, so that a fundamental understanding of the regulation of tissue oxygenation is achieved.

One of the prerequisites for survival is the ability of cells to maintain their volume. Thus, during the course of evolution cells have "learned" a variety of strategies to achieve volume homeostasis. This volume regulatory machinery involves regulation of both, cellular metabolism and cellular transport and is exploited by hormones and transmitters to regulate cellularfunction. This book to illustrates the complex interplay of cell volume regulatory mechanisms and cellular function in a variety of tissues. However, our knowledge is still far from being conclusive, and the present collection of reviews is thought to foster further experimental efforts to unravel the role of cell volume in the integrated function of cells.