Physical origin of Na+/Cl− selectivity of tight junctions between epithelial cells. Nonlocal electrostatic approach

Abstract Tight junctions (TJs) of epithelial cells play a key role in regulation of the ion exchange between NaCl solutions separated by the layer of these cells. Their functioning is based on a strong difference in the permeabilities of these channels for Na+ and Cl− ion migrational fluxes owing to specific properties of the protein network inside TJs. It has been assumed in this study that this phenomenon originates from combination of two effects related to this specific TJ protein (claudin) which segments are partially located inside the TJ space. First, their ionogenic groups create a negative charge distributed inside TJs, thus inducing a difference between the Na+ and Cl− concentrati…