Electrokinetic studies of urine-urea mixture across bladder membranes.

Abstract

We ascertain the role of urea in urine and its probable effects on the polarizable behavior of bladder interfaces. Urine was systematically diluted, keeping overall volume the same. The methodology of nonequilibrium thermodynamics was used, which involves measurements of hydrodynamic permeability, electro-osmotic permeability, streaming potential and streaming currents, respectively. Effective pressure terms (alpha 1) and polarizability terms (alpha 2) were computed, making use of higher order phenomenological coefficients, and their concentration dependence was examined. Abrupt changes in the values of alpha 1 and alpha 2 are supported by trends in higher order phenomenological coefficients. The polarizable behavior of the bladder is maintained up to certain concentrations of urea in urine and then it undergoes drastic changes. The role of the bladder in situations of improper functioning of the liver and diets without protein may provide an explanation.