Water Exchange of Collagenous Tissues and of Gelatin

Abstract

Water exchange of parenchymatous tissue, namely liver, kidney, or pancreas, occurs by osmosis, and the movement of water, as is well known, occurs in direct relation to the concentration of the surrounding solution. But the present work shows that the hydration of collagenous tissues, like that of gelatin, occurs in strong as well as in weak solutions of sodium chloride. The water intake of collagenous tissue in solutions of sodium chloride or of sucrose increases with increased density of the tissue and the sequence of changes is like that observed with gels of increasing gelatin content under the same conditions. Dense collagenous tissue, apparently impervious to the movement of water, exhibits a conspicuous ability to attract and hold it.

An Analysis of Some Factors Affecting Experimental Ascites in the Rat

“…In these experiments the site of this exchange is apparently the mesenteric, and in addition on transfusion, the retroperitoneal areas. Opie and Rothbard (1953) have shown that rat collagen of different types is a very efficient fluid binder. The swelling of the mentioned areas in these experiments, as a reflection of tliis, might well act as a retarding influence in the passage of capillary filtrate to peritoneum, long enough to permit its carriage away by the local lymphatics.…”