Regulation of Cell Volume in Neural Cells

Under normal homeostatic conditions all animal cells are predisposed to swell due to the presence of membrane-impermeable organic molecules in their cytoplasm (Donnan swelling). Cells also swell or shrink due to changes in the osmolarity of their intracellular compartments or the extracellular milieu. To preserve their integrity and functions, animal cells have evolved several mechanisms for maintaining their volumes. In this article we characterize the membrane and intracellular machinery responsible for cell volume regulation. We place a particular emphasis on the significance of cell volume regulation for physiology and pathophysiology of neural tissue.