Effect of Glucose on Water Transport in Rat Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells.

Glucose is widely used as an osmotic agent in fluids for peritoneal dialysis. The aim of this work was to study the effect of glucose on the expression of the aquaporin-1 (AQP1) water channel and TonEBP transcription factor, as well as on plasma membrane water permeability of cells in the primary culture of Wistar rat mesenteric mesotheliocytes, using fluorescence microscopy with the intracellular fluorescent dye сalcein. mRNA contents were assessed by real time RT-PCR. Preincubation of cells in a DMEM medium containing glucose (2.3%, 24 h, 37°C, 5% CO2) led to a decrease in the expression of the aqp1 gene by about 60% (control 0.87 ± 0.18; glucose 0.34 ± 0.12, n = 9, p < 0.05) and the tonebp gene by 20% (control 0.37 ± 0.024; glucose 0.3 ± 0.012, n = 9, p < 0.05). A 40% decrease in plasma membrane water permeability of peritoneal mesotheliocytes was also observed after 24-h preincubation with glucose (control 7.3E-3 ± 1.3E-3 (cm/s), n = 27; glucose 4.3E-3 ± 3.8E-4 (cm/s), n = 57, p < 0.01). These results indicate that glucose can exert an inhibitory effect on transport processes in peritoneal mesothelial cells, which, under multiple exposures, may result in structural and functional disorders of the peritoneal membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]