On the existence of a lyotropic and osmotic type of collagen swelling produced by representative electrolytes and anelectrolytes

Summary The influence of NaI, NaCl, urea, glucose and sucrose on venous tissue volume were studied with regard to osmotic (electrostatic and dehydrating) and lyotropic effects. NaI leads to the highest volume increase and to the extreme irreversibility of this change. The tested anelectrolytes cause a decrease of tissue volume over the whole range of concentration with the exception that, beyond 1.0 osM, urea causes an increase. The large reversibility of this increase is pointed out. A strict discrimination between osmotic and lyotropic volume change is questioned.