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Updated: Jul 31, 2025

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Introduction to Solid Supported Membrane Based Electrophysiology
Published on: May 11, 2013
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Sucrose Osmotic Self-Oscillation Drives Membrane Permeability
Lichun Chen1,2, Songwen Xue1, Binhao Dai1
1Food Safety Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|May 3, 2023
Summary
Sucrose increases phospholipid membrane permeability, affecting cell membrane potential and vesicle size. This study reveals sucrose
Area of Science:
- Membrane Biophysics
- Molecular Permeation
- Cellular Biology
Background:
- Molecular permeation across phospholipid membranes is crucial for biological processes.
- Sucrose, a common sweetener, plays a role in obesity and diabetes, but its membrane permeability mechanism is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of sucrose on phospholipid membrane permeability and stability.
- To explore sucrose's osmotic behavior in giant unimolecular vesicles (GUVs) and HepG2 cells.
Main Methods:
- Utilized giant unimolecular vesicles (GUVs) to mimic cellular membrane properties.
- Compared osmotic behavior of sucrose in GUVs and HepG2 cells.
- Analyzed changes in vesicle size, membrane potential, and fluorescence intensity.
Main Results:
- Sucrose concentration significantly altered GUV and cellular membrane potential (p < 0.05).
- Increased sucrose concentration led to significant changes in vesicle particle size.
- Fluorescence intensity of vesicles increased in a sucrose environment, indicating enhanced permeability.
Conclusions:
- Sucrose enhances phospholipid membrane permeability in the absence of protein enhancers.
- Findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding sucrose's role in physiological environments.
- Sucrose impacts membrane stability and potential, relevant to metabolic disease pathogenesis.
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