title: Basolateral membrane conductance in A6 cells: effect of high sodium transport rate.
abstract: Conductance of apical and basolateral membranes in short-circuited cultured renal distal cells (A6) was determined using microelectrodes. Epithelia were pre-incubated with 0.1 mumol/l dexamethasone in the presence of 4 mumol/l amiloride to prevent increase in apical Na+ entry. Omission of amiloride increased the Isc from 5.7 to 27.6 microA/cm2 due to the rise in apical membrane conductance from 21 to 595 microS/cm2. Apical fractional resistance decreased from 0.89 to 0.40 and cells depolarized from -52 to -4 mV. Basolateral membrane conductance, which was 320 microS/cm2 at partially inhibited transport, was not significantly altered during the first 2 min following establishment of high transport activity; it started to increase thereafter reaching a more than threefold higher value of 1324 microS/cm2 within 12 min. The gain cannot be explained by increase in partial K+ conductance. Disappearance of the conductance after reduction of basolateral Cl- or in the presence of the Cl- channel blocker 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoate indicates a Cl- conductance, which appears to be activated by depolarization.
authors.affiliation: Département de Physiologie, Université Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granitzer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Crabbé
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D018118:Chloride Channels; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007686:Kidney Tubules, Distal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000584:Amiloride; D003907:Dexamethasone; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium