Mechanism of action of GABA on intracellular pH and on surface pH in crayfish muscle fibres.

1. The mode of action of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on intracellular pH (pHi) and surface pH (pHs) was studied in crayfish muscle fibres using H(+)-selective microelectrodes. The extracellular HCO3- concentration was varied (0-30 mM) at constant pH (7.4). 2. GABA (5 x 10(-6)-10(-3) M) produced a reversible fall in pHi which showed a dependence on the concentrations of both GABA and HCO3-. The fall in pHi was associated with a transient increase in pHs and it was inhibited by a K(+)-induced depolarization. 3. In the presence of 30 mM-HCO3-, a near-saturating concentration of GABA (0.5 mM) produced a mean fall in pHi of 0.43 units. This change in pHi accounted for about two-thirds of the GABA-induced decrease (from -66 to -29 mV) in the sarcolemmal H+ driving force, while the rest was due to the simultaneous depolarization. 4. The apparent net efflux of HCO3- (JHCO3e) produced by a given concentration of GABA was estimated on the basis of the instantaneous rate of change of pHi. In the presence of 30 mM-HCO3-, JHCO3e following exposure to 0.5 mM-GABA had a mean value of 8.0 mmol l-1 min-1. Under steady-state conditions (at plateau acidosis), the intracellular acid load produced by 0.5 mM-GABA was about 25% of that seen at the onset of the application. 5. The GABA-induced HCO3- permeability, calculated on the basis of the flux data, showed a concentration dependence similar to that of the GABA-activated conductance described in previous work. 6. The GABA-induced increase in pHs was immediately blocked by both a membrane-permeant inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase (acetazolamide, 10(-6) M) and by a poorly permeant inhibitor (benzolamide, 10(-6) M). 7. Application of acetazolamide (10(-4) M) for 5 min or more produced a decrease of up to 60% in the maximum rate of fall of pHi at GABA concentrations higher than 20 microM. 8. The recovery of the GABA-induced acidosis was associated with a fall in pHs. The recovery was completely blocked in solutions devoid of Na+ or of Cl-, as well as by DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid, 10(-5) M). This indicates that the maintenance of a non-equilibrium H+ gradient at plateau acidosis and the recovery of pHi are attributable to Na(+)-dependent Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange. 9. We conclude that the effects of GABA on pHi and pHs are due to electrodiffusion of HCO3- across postsynaptic anion channels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)