Although the functional significance of intracellular water is widely accepted, its messenger role in signal transduction and generation of different diseases is not adequately studied by the researchers. My presentation contains a review of our data on the metabolic regulation of cell hydration and its physiological significance in norm and pathology. Methods: Neuronal, muscle and reproductive cells, isolated tissue and organs of animals and woman breast cancer tissues serves as a subject for investigations. The light microscopic, whole cell and patch clamp, isotope, standard biochemical and genetic engineering methods were used. Results: The data showed a close correlation between cell hydration and number of functionally active membrane proteins, having enzymatic, chemoreceptive and ionoforetic properties. The data on the Table show that the number of ouabain receptors (Na/K pump units) depends on membrane surface, which changes upon the effect of factors causing the increase of membrane permeability. The correlation between the Na/K pump regulating the cell hydration and intracellular signaling system was also shown. It makes the cell hydration as a universal and extrasensitive cell marker determining the cell functional state and a sensor for different extraweak environmental signals. By specific mRNA-induced expression in oocites membrane was shown that the cyclic nucleotide?dependent Na/Ca exchanger plays a crucial role in cell volume regulation, when the Na/K pump is inactive (cell pathology). Conclusions: 1) The number of functionally active protein molecules in cell membrane depends on cell active surface. 2) There are a negative feedback between Na/K pump and cell hydration and a positive feedback between membrane permeability and cell hydration. 3) The cell overhydration is a marker for cell pathology. 5) The Na/K pump regulating the cell hydration is a universal and extrasensitive sensor for various environmental factors.

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