Mode of stimulation by aldosterone of the sodium efflux in barnacle muscle fibres: effects of ouabain, ethacrynic acid, diphenylhydantoin, (ATPMg)(2-), adenine translocase inhibitors, pyruvate and oxythiamine.

1. A study has been made of the nature of the delayed stimulation caused by external aldosterone in barnacle fibres pre-exposed to aldosterone. 2. (i) Microinjection of 0-5 M-ATPMg2- caused only a small but prompt rise in the Na efflux. (ii) Microinjection of 0-5 M-ATPMg2- followed by external application of 10(-5)M aldosterone greatly augmented the magnitude of the delayed stimulation. The response was dose-dependent, as well as dependent on the concentration of external K+ and H+, but not Na+, Ca2+ or Mg2+. (iii) External application of 10(-5) M aldosterone for 30 min followed by its withdrawal from the bathing medium failed to bring about delayed stimulation. By contrast, fibres into which ATP had been injected showed delayed stimulation under these conditions. 3. Microinjection of actinomycin-D or spironolactone SC-14266 into fibres into which ATP had been injected followed by external application of aldosterone resulted in complete abolition of the delayed stimulation. 4. Delayed stimulation was reduced whether ATP had been injected or not by prior external application of 10(-4)M ouabain or internal application of 8 x 10(-2)M ethacrynic acid. It was completely abolished by prior application of ouabain externally and ethacrynic acid internally, or only 10(-4)M diphenylhydantoin externally. 5. (i) Microinjection of atractyloside or bongkrekic acid caused a substantial fall in the resting Na efflux. Bonkrekic acid proved more powerful than atractyloside. Microinjection of 0-05 M-ATPMg2- into fibres poisoned with 2-0 x 10(-2)M bongkrekic acid completely restored the Na efflux.