EFFECTS OF THE AVENE SPRING WATER ON THE DYNAMICS OF LIPIDS IN THE MEMBRANES OF CULTURED FIBROBLASTS

In this preliminary report, dealing with the biological properties of Avene spring water, we investigated its effects on membrane properties of cultured human skin fibroblasts used as a model cell system. It is shown that incubation of these cells in the presence of Avene spring water brings about an increase in the fluidity of plasma membrane. Thi s effect was evidenced by a decrease in the fluorescence anisotropy of the lipophilic probe diphenylhexatriene and by a 3-fold increase in t he lateral diffusion coefficient of the lipophilic probe 5-(N-hexadeca noyl)-aminofluorescein, as measured through fluorescence recovery afte r photobleaching experiments. This effect reached a maximum for incuba tion times longer than 30 min and for a dilution of Avene water in lab oratory water to about 20-25%. As discussed, changes in the hydrodynam ic properties of cell membranes induced by Avene water provide a plaus ible explanation for some of the biological events this spring water i s known to trigger.