Diffusion of organic compounds through human basement membrane

In order to investigate the permeability properties of human basement membrane, diffusion of several organic compounds, glycine, proline, glucose, urea and insulin, through human anterior lens capsule was studied by using a method of continuous radioactivity measurement which was developed by us. The diffusion rate of organic substances is smaller than that of electrolytes, and it depends largely upon the molecular size of diffusing compound. The experimental results show a possible selective permeability of human basement membranes for certain organic compounds. A comparison with the results obtained from the experiments of bovine basement membrane was equally carried out.