Water permeability and lipid composition of toad urinary bladder: The influence of temperature

The water diffusional permeability, its activation energy and the lipid composition were studied in urinary bladders from toads adapted to different temperatures. It was observed that the unidirectional water flux greatly depends on the temperature at which the experiments are performed. This dependence is greater in the animals adapted to higher temperatures. Toads adapted to cold show strong reduction in the activation energy for water diffusion permeability (from 11.4+/-1.9 kcal-mol-1 to 4.4+/-1.1kcal-mol-1) and an increase of 30% in the amount of total lipids from bladder epithelial cells. There were no significant changes in the phospholipid/cholesterol ratio, composition of the parafinic chains or protein concentration between toads adapted to both temperatures. The possibility that water translocates through the mucosal border of the toad bladder by partitioning in the polar zone and diffusioning between the hydrocarbon chains of the membrane lipids and that cold adaptation would induce a stronger "packing" of lipids in the membrane is discussed.