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Effect of helium on membrane resistance
Archives Internationales De Pharmacodynamie Et De Therapie
|October 1, 1975
Summary
Bacterial protein EIM reduced bimolecular lipid membrane resistance to biological levels. Membrane resistance increased significantly when exposed to helium and a helium-oxygen mixture.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Membrane Science
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Biomolecular lipid membranes (BLM) are crucial for cellular function.
- Understanding BLM electrical properties is key to biological research.
- Excitability inducing material (EIM) is a bacterial protein with potential membrane-modulating effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure the electrical resistance of BLMs.
- To investigate the effect of EIM on BLM resistance.
- To compare BLM resistance with natural membranes (frog pericardium) under various gas exposures.
Main Methods:
- Electrical resistance measurements of BLMs using the Mueller and Rudin method.
- Addition of EIM to BLMs to assess its impact on resistance.
- Exposure of BLMs and frog pericardium to air, oxygen, nitrogen, helium, and a helium-oxygen mixture.
Main Results:
- EIM addition significantly reduced BLM electrical resistance to biologically relevant levels.
- Frog pericardium served as a comparable natural membrane.
- No significant resistance changes were observed when membranes were exposed to air, oxygen, or nitrogen.
- Exposure to helium and a 79% helium-21% oxygen mixture caused a significant increase in membrane resistance.
Conclusions:
- EIM effectively lowers the electrical resistance of BLMs, making them more biologically relevant.
- Helium and helium-oxygen mixtures significantly increase the resistance of both artificial and natural lipid membranes.
- These findings contribute to understanding lipid membrane behavior under different gaseous environments.