Effect of periglandular ionic composition and transport inhibitors on rhesus monkey eccrine sweat gland function in vitro.

1. The effects of peritubular ions and transport inhibitors were studied on methacholine (MCH)-induced sweat secretion by the isolated, cannulated monkey palm sweat glands in vitro and on the transepithelial and basolateral membrane potential (p.d.). 2. Sweat secretory rate was a curvilinear function of peritubular Na+ and Cl- concentration. Among the anion substitutes only Br- was able to totally substitute for Cl-. Presence of HCO3- or H2PO4- in the bath was not essential. 3. Both bumetanide and furosemide inhibited sweat secretion in a dose-dependent manner with the median effective concentration (EC50) of 3 X 10(-6) and 3 X 10(-5) M, respectively. 4. Bumetanide (10(-4) M) had no significant effect on basolateral membrane p.d. but nearly abolished the transepithelial p.d. 5. Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, 3 X 10(-4) M) inhibited sweat secretion by only 35%. Inhibitors of ion exchangers amiloride (10(-4) M) and DIDS (4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid, 10(-4) M) lowered sweat secretion by less than 20%. 6. Removal of peritubular K+ as well as addition of 5 mM-Ba2+ also inhibited sweat rate. 5 mM-Ba2+ abolished the transepithelial p.d. and depolarized the basolateral p.d. by 26 mV, although the effects of Ba2+ on sweating and the transepithelial p.d. were only transient. 7. The data raise a possibility that either the NaCl or Na+-K+-2Cl- co-transport system or both may be involved in MCH-induced sweat secretion, whereas the role of parallel ion exchangers, if any, may be rather minor.