Depolarization-induced alkalinization in proximal tubules. I. Characteristics and dependence on Na+

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Abstract
We used intracellular pH-sensitive and voltage microelectrodes to examine the effects of the depolarization on intracellular pH (pHi) in isolated perfused proximal tubules from the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum. Tubules were depolarized by raising [K+] in the bath (b) or lumen (1), or by adding Ba2+ (1 mM) to the bath or lumen, always in nominally HCO3-free solutions. Increasing [K+]b from 2.5 to 50 mM caused the basolateral membrane to depolarize by an average of 45 mV, and pHi to increase by 0.23 over 3 min. Similar alkalinization was observed when basolateral Ba2+ (1 mM) was used to depolarize the cell at constant extracellular [K+], suggesting that the alkalinization observed during exposure to elevated [K+]b results from depolarization rather than an increase in [K+]b. The initial rate of depolarization-induced alkalinization (DIA) was proportional to the magnitude of the depolarization, regardless of whether tubules were depolarized by elevated [K+]b, elevated [K+]l, or by basolateral Ba2+. An exception was the initial rate of the alkalinization caused by 1 mM luminal Ba2+, which was more than 10-fold greater than that predicted from the depolarization. The voltage and pHi responses to basolateral Ba2+ were smaller in some tubules than others, as were the responses to elevated [K+]l. Tubules with small responses to 1 mM [Ba2+]b had large responses to 50 mM [K+]l, whereas tubules with large responses to 1 mM [Ba2+]b had small responses to 50 mM [K+]l. This variability can be accounted for by differences in the luminal K+ conductance. The DIA was partially inhibited by removal of Na+ from only the lumen or only the bath, but completely inhibited by bilateral Na+ removal. We conclude that the depolarization-induced alkalinization results from additive effects of Na+-dependent processes at both luminal and basolateral membranes.

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