. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Oct 27.

Published in final edited form as: Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jul 1;5(4):603–614. doi: 10.1586/eem.10.3

Table 1. Tissues and body fluids known to demonstrate elevated osmolarity.

Species	Tissues/body fluids	Associated physiologic/pathologic conditions	Osmolarity (mOsm/kg H₂O) Mean ± S.E. (or distribution)	References
Human	Serum	Diabetes mellitus (ketoacidosis)	308 ± 4.9	[69]
		Uremia	318 ± 6.3	[70]
		Dehydration after exercise		[71]
		Heat stroke	297 ± 1.0	[72]
		Fatal burn	312 ± 22.1	[73]
	Inflammatory sites	Experimental inflammation induced by subcutaneous injection of BCG	400-600	[68]
	Tear	Keratoconjunctivitis sicca	343 ± 32.3	[100,101]
	Synovial (joint) fluid	Normal subjects	404 ± 57	[81]
	Faecal fluid	Under normal diet	372 ± 11.4	[102]
Pig	Uterine fluids	Embryonic development in uteri	320 ± 32	[103]
Mouse	Spleen	Hyperosmotic microenvironment may be necessary for lymphocyte development and differentiation	330-340	[13]
	Thymus	Hyperosmotic microenvironment may be necessary for lymphocyte development and differentiation	320-330	[13]
	Liver		330-340	[13]

BCG: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin