Serum albumin induces osmotic swelling of rat retinal glial cells.

Edema in the ischemic neural tissue develops by increased vascular permeability associated with extravasation of albumin, and by glial swelling. Here, we show that bovine serum albumin acutely administered to slices of the rat retina causes swelling of glial somata under hypoosmotic conditions. The effect of albumin was dose-dependent, with half-maximal and maximal effects at 10 nM and 1 microM, respectively, and was mediated by activation of transforming growth factor-beta receptor type II, oxidative stress, and the production of arachidonic acid and prostaglandins. Albumin-induced glial swelling was prevented by glutamate and purinergic receptor agonists. The data suggest that serum albumin may induce glial swelling in the presence of osmotic gradients.