The regulation of intracellular pH in monkey kidney epithelial cells (BSC-1). Roles of Na+/H+ antiport, Na+-HCO3(-)-(NaCO3-) symport, and Cl-/HCO3- exchange.
Using the pH-sensitive absorbance of 5 (and 6)-carboxy-4',5'- dimethylfluorescein, we investigated the regulation of cytoplasmic pH (pHi) in monkey kidney epithelial cells (BSC-1). In the absence of HCO3-, pHi is 7.15 +/- 0.1, which is not significantly different from pHi in 28 mM HCO3-, 5% CO2 (7.21 +/- 0.07). After an acid load, the cells regulate pHi in the absence of HCO3- by a Na+ (or Li+)-dependent, amiloride-inhibitable mechanism (indicative of Na+/H+ antiport). In 28 mM HCO3-, while still dependent on Na+, this regulation is only blocked in part by 1 mM amiloride. A partial block is also observed with 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) (1 mM). With cells pretreated with DIDS, 1 mM amiloride nearly totally inhibits this regulation. Cl- had no effect on pHi regulation in the acidic range. In HCO3(-)-free saline, Na+ removal leads to an amiloride-insensitive acidification, which is dependent on Ca2+. In 28 mM HCO3-, Na+ (and Ca2+) removal led to a pronounced reversible and DIDS-sensitive acidification. When HCO3- was lowered from 46 to 10 mM at constant pCO2 (5%), pHi dropped by a DIDS-sensitive mechanism. Identical changes in pHo (7.6 to 6.9) in the nominal absence of HCO3- led to smaller changes of pHi. In the presence but not in the absence of HCO3-, removal of Cl- led to a DIDS-sensitive alkalinization. This was also observed in the nominal absence of Na+, which leads to a sustained acidification. It is concluded that in nominally bicarbonate-free saline, the amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ antiport is the predominant mechanism of pHi regulation at acidic pHi, while being relatively inactive at physiological values of pHi. In bicarbonate saline, two other mechanisms effect pHi regulation: a DIDS-sensitive Na+-HCO3- symport, which contributes to cytoplasmic alkalinization, and a DIDS-sensitive Cl-/HCO3- exchange, which is apparently independent of Na+.
D017878:4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid; D012856:4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000378:metabolism; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D027963:Chloride-Bicarbonate Antiporters; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D000882:Haplorhini; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007424:Intracellular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D027982:Sodium-Bicarbonate Symporters; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers
D001639:Bicarbonates; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D027963:Chloride-Bicarbonate Antiporters; D002712:Chlorides; D027982:Sodium-Bicarbonate Symporters; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D012856:4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic Acid; D000584:Amiloride; D017878:4,4'-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-Disulfonic Acid