Development of H+ secretion by cultured renal inner medullary collecting duct cells.

The purpose of these studies was to characterize the development of H+ secretion by cultured inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells. Differentiated IMCD cells derived from rat papillae develop in culture N-ethylmaleimide (NEM)- and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD)-sensitive Na+-independent H+ pump, but showed substantial heterogeneity. Cells with pHi greater than or equal to 7.1, measured by 2',7'-biscarboxyethyl-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF), showed more H+ pumping than did those with pHi less than 7.1. Quiescent cells in domes and in the center of growing nests often showed active H+ pumping activity, but rarely exhibited Na+-H+ exchange, whereas dividing cells at the periphery of the nests showed only Na+-H+ exchange. Differentiated IMCD cells also showed Na+-independent 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS)-sensitive Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange that functioned best when pHi was greater than or equal to 7.1, and homogenates of IMCD cells expressed carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity and CA II mRNA. A subgroup of IMCD cells avidly bound fluorescent peanut agglutinin (PNA); this binding became more extensive with time in culture. The PNA-labeled cells showed increased BCECF uptake, higher pHi, and more H+ pumping activity than did cells not binding PNA. They could be isolated by gel-immobilized PNA and in culture showed more CA activity and H+ pumping activity than unselected monolayers. The percentage of cells binding PNA correlated well with CA activity, indicating that this subgroup is better specialized to secrete H+. The appearance of PNA binding sites and the development of high CA activity may be characteristic of IMCD cell differentiation in culture.