BACKGROUND: Normal gastrointestinal motility depends on electrical slow-wave activity generated by interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the tunica muscularis of the gastrointestinal tract. A requirement for HCO3- in extracellular solutions used to record slow waves indicates a role for HCO3- transport in ICC pacemaking. The Slc4a4 gene transcript encoding the electrogenic Na+ /HCO3- cotransporter, NBCe1, is enriched in mouse small intestinal myenteric region ICC (ICC-MY) that generate slow waves. This study aimed to determine how extracellular HCO3- concentrations affect electrical activity in mouse small intestine and to determine the contribution of NBCe1 activity to these effects. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and sharp electrode electrical recordings were used. KEY RESULTS: The NBCe1 immunoreactivity was localized to ICC-MY of the tunica muscularis. In sharp electrode electrical recordings, removal of HCO3- from extracellular solutions caused significant, reversible, depolarization of the smooth muscle and a reduction in slow-wave amplitude and frequency. In 100 mM HCO3- , the muscle hyperpolarized and slow wave amplitude and frequency increased. The effects of replacing extracellular Na+ with Li+ , an ion that does not support NBCe1 activity, were similar to, but larger than, the effects of removing HCO3- . There were no additional changes to electrical activity when HCO3- was removed from Li+ containing solutions. The Na+ /HCO3- cotransport inhibitor, S-0859 (30µM) significantly reduced the effect of removing HCO3- on electrical activity. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These studies demonstrate a major role for Na+ /HCO3- cotransport by NBCe1 in electrical activity of mouse small intestine and indicated that regulation of intracellular acid:base homeostasis contributes to generation of normal pacemaker activity in the gastrointestinal tract.
BACKGROUND: Normal gastrointestinal motility depends on electrical slow-wave activity generated by interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the tunica muscularis of the gastrointestinal tract. A requirement for HCO3- in extracellular solutions used to record slow waves indicates a role for HCO3- transport in ICC pacemaking. The Slc4a4 gene transcript encoding the electrogenic Na+ /HCO3- cotransporter, NBCe1, is enriched in mouse small intestinal myenteric region ICC (ICC-MY) that generate slow waves. This study aimed to determine how extracellular HCO3- concentrations affect electrical activity in mouse small intestine and to determine the contribution of NBCe1 activity to these effects. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and sharp electrode electrical recordings were used. KEY RESULTS: The NBCe1 immunoreactivity was localized to ICC-MY of the tunica muscularis. In sharp electrode electrical recordings, removal of HCO3- from extracellular solutions caused significant, reversible, depolarization of the smooth muscle and a reduction in slow-wave amplitude and frequency. In 100 mM HCO3- , the muscle hyperpolarized and slow wave amplitude and frequency increased. The effects of replacing extracellular Na+ with Li+ , an ion that does not support NBCe1 activity, were similar to, but larger than, the effects of removing HCO3- . There were no additional changes to electrical activity when HCO3- was removed from Li+ containing solutions. The Na+ /HCO3- cotransport inhibitor, S-0859 (30µM) significantly reduced the effect of removing HCO3- on electrical activity. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These studies demonstrate a major role for Na+ /HCO3- cotransport by NBCe1 in electrical activity of mouse small intestine and indicated that regulation of intracellular acid:base homeostasis contributes to generation of normal pacemaker activity in the gastrointestinal tract.
Authors: P R Strege; A Mazzone; R E Kraichely; L Sha; A N Holm; Y Ou; I Lim; S J Gibbons; M G Sarr; G Farrugia Journal: Neurogastroenterol Motil Date: 2007-02 Impact factor: 3.598
Authors: Hui Chen; Tamás Ordög; Junwei Chen; David L Young; Michael R Bardsley; Doug Redelman; Sean M Ward; Kenton M Sanders Journal: Physiol Genomics Date: 2007-09-25 Impact factor: 3.107