Faculty Bibliography

We have previously demonstrated inhibition of basal Cl- secretion by intracellular bicarbonate concentration ([HCO3-]i) in rat distal colon. We now examined whether secretagogue-induced Cl- secretion is inhibited by [HCO3-]i as well. Stripped segments of distal colon from male Sprague-Dawley rats and the colon tumor cell line T84 were studied. Flux measurements were performed in the Ussing chamber under short-circuit conditions. [HCO3-]i was calculated from intracellular pH (pHi) values that were estimated with the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein. Dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and carbachol were used as secretagogues. In both distal colon and T84 cells, [HCO3-]i did not affect cAMP-induced Cl- secretion. However, carbachol-induced secretion was inhibited by [HCO3-]i; in rat colon, Cl- secretion decreased from 2.3 to 1.5 mueq.cm-2.h-1 when [HCO3-]i was increased from 15.0 to 28.4 mM (P < 0.05). In T84 cells, the change in short-circuit current decreased from 8.1 to 1.1 microA/cm2 over a range of [HCO3-]i from 0 to 15.6 mM (P < 0.001). We conclude that [HCO3-]i is an important modulator of carbachol-stimulated Cl- secretion in both rat distal colon and the T84 cell line. cAMP-mediated secretion is not affected by [HCO3-]i

1. The effects of extracellular pH on Na+ and Cl- absorption were studied in vitro in the small intestine of the winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus. 2. Reductions in bathing solution pH inhibited JNams (mucosal-to-serosal flux) and JNanet (net flux) (r = 0.90) and JClnet (r = 0.92) [due to an increase in JClsm (serosal-to-mucosal)] and decreased short circuit current (Isc). 3. Luminal bumetanide (0.1 mM) and amiloride (1 mM) inhibited Na+ and Cl- absorption by reducing Jms. 4. Luminal barium (5 mM) and luminal copper (100 microM) decreased JClms and increased JClsm. 5. We conclude that reductions in extracellular pH inhibit a luminal membrane NaCl absorptive process (Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl-) and stimulate an electrogenic Cl- secretory process.

1. Colonic HCO3 secretion was measured as the residual flux in male Sprague-Dawley rats (Rattus rattus). 2. Basal HCO3 secretion was increased by 1 mM dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) and was reduced to baseline by 0.1 mM methazolamide (Mtz) but not by SITS (1 mM), DIDS (1 mM) or amiloride (1 mM). 3. In vivo, intravenous vasoactive intestinal peptide increased HCO3 secretion and prior perfusion with 1 mM Mtz prevented this increase. 4. These results suggest that the source of basal and cAMP-stimulated HCO3 secretion is, in part, intracellular and requires the action of carbonic anhydrase

Animal experiments have shown that acute respiratory acidosis stimulates water, Na and Cl absorption and HCO3 secretion in the ileum. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the human ileum also responds to changes in systemic acid-base balance. Seven healthy volunteers (mean age 24, range 21-29 years) underwent segmental ileal perfusion using a multi-lumen tube assembly with a proximal occluding balloon. A 30 cm test segment was perfused under steady state conditions with a plasma-like electrolyte solution containing PEG as a non-absorbable volume marker. After a control period, respiratory acidosis (blood pCO2 56.2 mmHg, pH 7.29 and [HCO3] 26.4 mmol l-1) was induced by CO2-breathing over a period of 50 min. Acute respiratory acidosis stimulated net HCO3 secretion in patients secreting HCO3 and reduced absorption in patients exhibiting net HCO3 absorption. These changes were immediate and appeared to be at least partly reversible. Net water, Na, K and Cl movement were not affected. The data suggest that HCO3 transport in the human ileum responds to acute respiratory acidosis.

CO2 stimulates Na+ and Cl- absorption in rat distal colon. This is most likely due to intracellular generation of H+ and HCO3- and stimulation of apical Na(+)-H+ and Cl(-)-HCO3- exchangers. We examined whether intracellular acidification by means other than CO2 would also stimulate Na+ absorption. Stripped segments of distal colon from male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied under short-circuit conditions in Ussing chambers. Identically prepared tissues were used for intracellular pH (pHi) measurements with the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein. When the Ringer PCO2 was increased from 20 to 34 mmHg, pHi decreased from 7.50 +/- 0.04 to 7.35 +/- 0.04 and net Na absorption increased from 2.4 +/- 0.7 to 3.7 +/- 0.7 mu eq.cm-2 x h-1. A similar degree of intracellular acidification was obtained with 2.6 microM nigericin, but no stimulation of Na+ absorption was seen. When Ringer-HCO3- concentration was reduced from 39 to 11 mM at constant PCO2 = 35 mmHg, pHi decreased from 7.55 +/- 0.02 to 7.11 +/- 0.02 with no effect on net Na+ absorption. A similar reduction in pHi in a CO2-HCO3(-)-free, N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid-buffered Ringer also did not stimulate Na+ absorption. Methazolamide had no effect on steady-state pHi at any given PCO2 but caused marked reductions in net Na+ absorption (9.6 +/- 2.4 to 5.2 +/- 1.2 mu eq.cm-2 x h-1 at PCO2 = 70 mmHg). We conclude that Na+ absorption in rat distal colon is not stimulated by intracellular acidification per se but rather has an absolute requirement for CO2 and carbonic anhydrase activity