Electrophysiology and noise analysis of K+-depolarized epithelia of frog skin

1985 ◽  
Vol 249 (5) ◽  
pp. C421-C429 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tang ◽  
F. J. Abramcheck ◽  
W. Van Driessche ◽  
S. I. Helman

Epithelia of frog skin bathed either symmetrically with a sulfate-Ringer solution or bathed asymmetrically and depolarized with a 112 mM K+ basolateral solution (Kb+) were studied with intracellular microelectrode techniques. Kb+ depolarization caused an initial decrease of the short-circuit current (Isc) with a subsequent return of the Isc toward control values in 60-90 min. Whereas basolateral membrane resistance (Rb) and voltage were decreased markedly by high [Kb+], apical membrane electrical resistance (Ra) was decreased also. After 60 min, intracellular voltage averaged -27.3 mV, transcellular fractional resistance (fRa) was 86.8%, and Ra and Rb were decreased to 36.1 and 13.0%, of their control values, respectively. Amiloride-induced noise analysis of the apical membrane Na+ channels revealed that Na+ channel density was increased approximately 72% while single-channel Na+ current was decreased to 39.9% of control, roughly proportional to the decrease of apical membrane voltage (34.0% of control). In control and Kb+-depolarized epithelia, the Na+ channel density exhibited a phenomenon of autoregulation. Inhibition of Na+ entry (by amiloride) caused large increases of Na+ channel density toward saturating values of approximately 520 X 10(6) channels/cm2 in Kb+-depolarized tissues.

1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (4) ◽  
pp. C668-C674 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Wilkinson ◽  
D. C. Dawson

Current fluctuation analysis was used to investigate the properties of apical Na+ channels during muscarinic inhibition of active Na+ absorption. A reversible Na+ channel blocker, 6-chloro-3,5-diaminopyrazine-2-carboxamide (CDPC), was used to induce fluctuations in the short-circuit current (I(sc)). Power density spectra of the CDPC-induced fluctuations exhibited a clearly discernible Lorentzian component, characterized by a corner frequency that was linearly related to CDPC concentration between 20 and 100 microM. The on (k'on) and off (k(off)) rate coefficients for the CDPC blocking reaction were k'on = 11.1 +/- 0.8 rad.s-1.microM-1 and k(off) = 744 +/- 53 rad/s, and the microscopic inhibition constant was 67 microM (n = 11). CDPC blocking kinetics were not significantly different after inhibition of Isc by 5 microM serosal carbachol. Single-channel Na+ current (iNa) and the density of open and blocked Na+ channels (N(ob)) were estimated from the fluctuations induced by 40 microM CDPC. Under control conditions, iNa was 0.43 +/- 0.05 pA and N(ob) was 251 +/- 42 X 10(6)/cm2 (n = 10). After exposure to serosal carbachol (2-10 microM) for 60 min, Na+ current and N(ob) were reduced by approximately 50%, but iNa was not changed significantly. These results indicate that muscarinic inhibition of electrogenic Na+ absorption was associated with a reduction in the number of open Na+ channels in the apical membrane. They also suggest that this downregulation of transport involved a coordinated decrease in both apical and basolateral membrane conductances.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (3) ◽  
pp. C931-C936 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Bouritius ◽  
J. A. Groot

We studied the effects of stimulation of the apical adenosine receptor on ion transport by HT29cl.19A cells with the conventional microelectrode technique. Adenosine (100 microM) caused an increase in the transepithelial potential (3.6 +/- 0.4 mV) and equivalent short-circuit current (I(sc), 21 +/- 3 microA/cm2), a transient depolarization of the apical membrane potential (14 +/- 2 mV), and a decrease in the apical membrane resistance. The increase in I(sc) was additive to the effect of forskolin or basolateral addition of a maximal concentration of adenosine. Bumetanide, applied after adenosine, caused a further depolarization (7 +/- 2 mV) concomitant with a decrease in I(sc) (-13 +/- 2 microA/cm2) and an increase in the basolateral membrane resistance. Substitution of Cl- with gluconate or Na+ with N-methylglucamine reduced the response to adenosine by >60%. The response was also reduced by a low concentration of amiloride. We conclude that stimulation of the apical adenosine receptor activated a cation conductance in the apical membrane.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (5) ◽  
pp. C1650-C1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn M. Baxendale-Cox ◽  
Randall L. Duncan ◽  
Xuehong Liu ◽  
Kieron Baldwin ◽  
Willem J. Els ◽  
...  

Weak channel blocker-induced noise analysis was used to determine the way in which the steroids aldosterone and corticosterone stimulated apical membrane Na+ entry into the cells of tissue-cultured A6 epithelia. Among groups of tissues grown on a variety of substrates, in a variety of growth media, and with cells at passages 73–112, the steroids stimulated both amiloride-sensitive and amiloride-insensitive Na+ transport as measured by short-circuit currents in chambers perfused with either growth medium or a Ringer solution. From baseline rates of blocker-sensitive short-circuit current between 2 and 7 μA/cm2, transport was stimulated about threefold in all groups of experiments. Single channel currents averaged near 0.3 pA (growth medium) and 0.5 pA (Ringer) and were decreased 6–20% from controls by steroid due to the expected decreases of fractional transcellular resistance. Irrespective of baseline transport rates, the steroids in all groups of tissues stimulated transport by increase of the density of blocker-sensitive epithelial Na+ channels (ENaCs). Channel open probability was the same in control and stimulated tissues, averaging ∼0.3 in all groups of tissues. Accordingly, steroid-mediated increases of open channel density responsible for stimulation of Na+ transport are due to increases of the apical membrane pool of functional channels and not their open probability.


1986 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
J W Hanrahan ◽  
N K Wills ◽  
J E Phillips ◽  
S A Lewis

K channels in the basolateral membrane of insect hindgut were studied using current fluctuation analysis and microelectrodes. Locust recta were mounted in Ussing-type chambers containing Cl-free saline and cyclic AMP (cAMP). A transepithelial K current was induced by raising serosal [K] under short-circuit conditions. Adding Ba to the mucosal (luminal) side under these conditions had no effect; however, serosal Ba reversibly inhibited the short-circuit current (Isc), increased transepithelial resistance (Rt), and added a Lorentzian component to power density spectra of the Isc. A nonlinear relationship between corner frequency and serosal [Ba] was observed, which suggests that the rate constant for Ba association with basolateral channels increased as [Ba] was elevated. Microelectrode experiments revealed that the basolateral membrane hyperpolarized when Ba was added: this change in membrane potential could explain the nonlinearity of the 2 pi fc vs. [Ba] relationship if external Ba sensed about three-quarters of the basolateral membrane field. Conventional microelectrodes were used to determine the correspondence between transepithelially measured current noise and basolateral membrane conductance fluctuations, and ion-sensitive microelectrodes were used to measure intracellular K activity (acK). From the relationship between the net electrochemical potential for K across the basolateral membrane and the single channel current calculated from noise analysis, we estimate that the conductance of basolateral K channels is approximately 60 pS, and that there are approximately 180 million channels per square centimeter of tissue area.


1985 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
F J Abramcheck ◽  
W Van Driessche ◽  
S I Helman

Noise analysis of the Na+ channels of the apical membranes of frog skin bathed symmetrically in a Cl-HCO3 Ringer solution was done with amiloride and CGS 4270. Tissues were studied in their control states and after inhibition of transepithelial Na+ transport (Isc) by addition of quinine or quinidine to the apical solution. A critical examination of the amiloride-induced noise indicated that the single channel Na+ currents (iNa) were decreased by quinine and quinidine, probably because of depolarization of apical membrane voltage. Despite considerable statistical uncertainty in the methods of estimation of the Na+ channel density with amiloride-induced noise (NA, see text), the striking observation was a large increase of NA with amiloride inhibition of the rate of Na+ entry into the cells. NA was increased to 406% of control, whereas Isc was inhibited to 8.6% of control by 6 microM amiloride. Studies were done also with the Na+ channel blocker CGS 4270. Noise analysis with this compound was advantageous, permitting iCGSNa and NCGS to be measured in individual tissues with a relatively small inhibition of Isc. As with amiloride, inhibition of Isc with CGS 4270 caused large increases of the Na+ channel density (approximately 200% at approximately 35% inhibition of the Isc). Quinine and quinidine caused an approximately 50% increase of Na+ channel density while inhibiting iNa by approximately 60-70%. As inhibition of Na+ entry leads to an increase of Na+ channel density, a mechanism of autoregulation appears to be a major factor in adjusting the apical membrane Na+ permeability of the cells.


1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (2) ◽  
pp. R409-R417 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Hebert ◽  
P. A. Friedman

Diluting segments from the bundle zone of the dogfish shark kidney were perfused in vitro and the electrophysiological characteristics of this segment investigated using conventional microelectrodes and cable analysis. In 21 tubules perfused with symmetrical Ringer solutions the average transepithelial voltage (Vte), transepithelial conductance (Gte), and equivalent short circuit current (Isc) were 8.7 +/- 0.6 mV, 91.3 +/- 10.2 mS/cm2, and 641 +/- 48 microA/cm2, respectively. Microelectrode impalements in 52 cells yielded values for the basolateral membrane voltage (Vb) and an estimated apical membrane fractional resistance (fRa) of -57.5 +/- 1.3 mV and 0.896 +/- 0.008, respectively. All of these parameters were distributed in a Gaussian manner. Liminal furosemide (10(-4) M) abolished Isc, hyperpolarized apical membrane voltage (Va) and Vb, increased Gte, and reduced fRa. The apical membrane was predominantly conductive to K+: increasing luminal K+ from 5 to 49.7 mM resulted in an apical depolarization of 41.2 mV and a fall in fRa and luminal Ba2+ (1 mM) depolarized Va by 14.3 mV and increased fRa. The apical transference number for K+ was 0.74 +/- 0.07. The cellular and paracellular resistances were estimated from the effects of luminal Ba2+ on fRa and Gte. The cell conductance represented approximately 45% of Gte, with the primary resistance barrier located at the apical membrane: apical membrane resistance was 59.7 +/- 16.0 and basolateral membrane resistance was 5.9 +/- 2.3 omega.cm2. From these resistance values together with the passive permeability (PNa/PCl) of 2.5 determined previously, the ratio of net Cl- absorption to net transcellular Na+ absorption was determined to be 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (3) ◽  
pp. C357-C367 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Schoen ◽  
A. Kaufman ◽  
D. Erlij

We measured effects of oxytocin on current-voltage (I-V) relations of frog (Rana catesbeiana) skins impaled with an intracellular microelectrode. In both Cl- and Cl(-)-free (SO4(2-) solutions, oxytocin caused an approximate doubling short-circuit current (Isc) and a depolarization of the cell membrane. Increase in apical membrane slope conductance, chord conductance, and permeability after oxytocin correlated with the increase in amiloride-sensitive Isc. Oxytocin also increased basolateral membrane conductance (gb). In Cl-, the shift in the voltage intercept of the apical membrane I-V relation (Ea) implied increased intracellular Na+ activity (a(Na)c) after oxytocin. In isolated frog skin epithelia, a similar increase in intracellular [Na+] after oxytocin was demonstrated by flame photometry. In SO4(2-), changes caused by oxytocin in both Ea and in flame photometrically determined cell [Na+] were minimal. The voltage intercept of the basolateral membrane I-V relations (Eb) was shifted by oxytocin in both Cl- and SO4(2-) solutions. Assuming that the basolateral membrane is selectively permeable to K+, changes in K+ obtained from Eb were in disagreement with those obtained by flame photometry. These results suggest that 1) the increase in a(Na)c caused by oxytocin is not essential to produce either the increase in gb or Isc and 2) ions other than K+ make an important contribution to basolateral membrane conductance.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (6) ◽  
pp. G1683-G1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. James Moser ◽  
A. Gangopadhyay ◽  
N. A. Bradbury ◽  
K. W. Peters ◽  
R. A. Frizzell ◽  
...  

Pathological rates of gallbladder salt and water transport may promote the formation of cholesterol gallstones. Because prairie dogs are widely used as a model of this event, we characterized gallbladder ion transport in animals fed control chow by using electrophysiology, ion substitution, pharmacology, isotopic fluxes, impedance analysis, and molecular biology. In contrast to the electroneutral properties of rabbit and Necturus gallbladders, prairie dog gallbladders generated significant short-circuit current ( Isc; 171 ± 21 μA/cm2) and lumen-negative potential difference (−10.1 ± 1.2 mV) under basal conditions. Unidirectional radioisotopic fluxes demonstrated electroneutral NaCl absorption, whereas the residual net ion flux corresponded to Isc. In response to 2 μM forskolin, Isc exceeded 270 μA/cm2, and impedance estimates of the apical membrane resistance decreased from 200 Ω·cm2 to 13 Ω·cm2. The forskolin-induced Isc was dependent on extracellular HCO3− and was blocked by serosal 4,4′-dinitrostilben-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DNDS) and acetazolamide, whereas serosal bumetanide and Cl− ion substitution had little effect. Serosal trans-6-cyano-4-( N-ethylsulfonyl- N-methylamino)-3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-chroman and Ba2+ reduced Isc, consistent with the inhibition of cAMP-dependent K+ channels. Immunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy localized cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR) to the apical membrane and subapical vesicles. Consistent with serosal DNDS sensitivity, pancreatic sodium-bicarbonate cotransporter protein pNBC1 expression was localized to the basolateral membrane. We conclude that prairie dog gallbladders secrete bicarbonate through cAMP-dependent apical CFTR anion channels. Basolateral HCO3− entry is mediated by DNDS-sensitive pNBC1, and the driving force for apical anion secretion is provided by K+ channel activation.


1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (2) ◽  
pp. C319-C331 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Willumsen ◽  
R. C. Boucher

Human airway epithelia are predominantly Na(+)-absorbing epithelia. To investigate the mechanisms for Na+ absorption across airway epithelia, the driving forces and paths for Na+ translocation across each membrane were examined with double-barreled Na(+)-selective microelectrodes in cultured human nasal epithelium (HNE). Under control conditions, intracellular Na+ activity (acNa) was 23 +/- 1 mM (n = 44 preparations, 393 impalements). Amiloride (10(-4) M) hyperpolarized the apical membrane and increased the fractional apical membrane resistance but did not affect acNa. Exposure to Na(+)-free luminal solution induced bioelectric responses similar to amiloride but also reduced acNa to 8 +/- 1 mM. Reduction of luminal Na+ concentration ([Na+]) in the presence of amiloride also reduced acNa without further changes in bioelectric parameters. Reduction of serosal [Na+] decreased aNac, a response blocked by bumetanide (10(-4) M). Ouabain (10(-4) M, serosal) led to a reduction in equivalent short-circuit current (Ieq) and increase in acNa. We conclude that 1) acNa is higher in HNE than in most mammalian epithelial cells, 2) the apical membrane expresses a conductive Na+ path, and 3) the basolateral membrane transports Na+ via the Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase and a Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport system.


2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (4) ◽  
pp. F722-F731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Xie ◽  
James A. Schafer

We examined the effects of intracellular Cl− concentration ([Cl−]i) on the epithelial Na channel (ENaC) in a line of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (FL-MDCK) with a high rate of Na+ transport produced by stable retroviral transfection with rENaC subunits (Morris RG and Schafer JA. J Gen Physiol 120: 71–85, 2002). Treatment with cAMP (100 μM 8-cpt-cAMP plus 100 μM IBMX) stimulated ENaC-mediated Na+ absorption as well as Cl− secretion via cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, which was characterized in α-toxin-permeabilized monolayers to have the anion selectivity sequence NO3− > Br− > Cl− > I−. With the use of FL-MDCK monolayers in which the basolateral membrane was permeabilized by nystatin, the ENaC conductance of the apical membrane [determined from the amiloride-sensitive short-circuit current (AS- Isc) driven by an apical-to-basolateral Na+ concentration gradient] was progressively inhibited by increasing the [Cl−] in the basolateral solution (and hence in the cytosol), but it was insensitive to the [Cl−] in the apical solution. This inhibitory effect of [Cl−]i occurred regardless of the presence or absence of net Cl− transport. However, from fluorometric measurements using the Cl−-sensitive dye 6-methoxy- N-(3-sulfopropyl)-quinolinium in intact FL-MDCK monolayers on permeable supports, cAMP, which activates both Na+ absorption and Cl− secretion, produced a decrease of [Cl−]i from 76 ± 14 to 36 ± 8 mM ( P = 0.03). Thus it might be expected that activation of Cl− secretion by cAMP would lead to stimulation rather than inhibition of ENaC. In the nystatin-treated monolayers, an increase in [Cl−]i from 15 to 145 mM decreased AS- Isc from 24.5 ± 1.0 to 10.2 ± 1.6 μA/cm2. This inhibition of ENaC could be attributed to nearly proportional decreases in the density of ENaC in the apical membrane from 1.91 ± 0.16 to 1.32 ± 0.17 fmol/cm2 and in the intrinsic channel activity (the average current per ENaC subunit) from 13.3 ± 1.2 to 8.2 ± 1.4 μA/fmol.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document