Human red blood cells’ physiological water exchange with the plasma

Kargol M, Kargol A, Przestalski M, Siedlecki J, Karpińska M, Rogowski M

Abstract

In the present paper, fundamental issues related to the mechanisms of human red blood cells’ physiological water exchange with the plasma (for the stationary conditions) have been discussed. It has been demonstrated, on the basis of mechanistic transport equations for membrane transport that red blood cells are capable of exchanging considerable amounts of water with the plasma. Water absorption is osmosis-driven, and its removal occurs according to the hydromechanics principle, i.e. is driven by the turgor pressure of red blood cells. This newly-acquired knowledge of these issues may appear highly useful for clinical diagnosis of blood diseases and blood circulation failures.

Key words: 	human red blood cells, cell membrane, water exchange, cytoplasm, plasma, transport equations.