title: Lactic acid secretion by human neutrophils. Evidence for an H+ + lactate- cotransport system.
abstract: The pathway by which L-lactate (Lac) crosses the plasma membrane of isolated human neutrophils was investigated. The influx of [14C]Lac from a 2 mM Lac, 145 mM Cl-, 5.6 mM glucose medium was approximately 1.5 meq/liter of cell water.min and was sensitive to the organomercurial agent mersalyl (apparent Ki approximately 20 microM), to alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate (CHC), the classical inhibitor of monocarboxylate transport in mitochondria, and to UK-5099 (apparent Ki approximately 40 microM), a more potent analogue of CHC. Transport was also strongly blocked (greater than 80%) by 1 mM of either 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid, MK-473 (an indanyloxyacetate derivative), or diphenyl-amine-2-carboxylate, and by 0.4 mM pentachlorophenol, but not by 1 mM ethacrynic acid, furosemide, or the disulfonic stilbenes SITS or H2DIDS. One-way [14C]Lac efflux from steady-state cells amounted to approximately 6 meq/liter.min and was likewise affected by the agents listed above. Influx, which was membrane potential insensitive and Na+ independent, displayed a strong pH dependence: extracellular acidification enhanced uptake while alkalinization inhibited the process (pK' approximately 5.7 at 2 mM external Lac). The rate of [14C]Lac influx was a saturable function of external Lac, the Km being approximately 7 mM. Steady-state cells exhibited an intracellular Lac content of approximately 5 mM and secreted lactic acid into the bathing medium a a rate of approximately 4 meq/liter.min. Secretion was completely suppressed by 1 mM mersalyl which inactivates the carrier, leading to an internal accumulation of Lac. That the Lac carrier truly mediates an H+ + Lac- cotransport (or formally equivalent Lac-/OH- exchange) was documented by pH-stat techniques wherein an alkalinization of poorly buffered medium could be detected upon the addition of Lac; these pH changes were sensitive to mersalyl. Thus, the Lac carrier of neutrophils possesses several features in common with other monocarboxylate transport systems in erythrocytes and epithelia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63106.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simchowitz
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Textor
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002469:Cell Separation; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007773:Lactates