Apical membrane chloride/base exchange in the rat proximal convoluted tubule.

To examine whether Cl/base exchange is present on the apical membrane of the proximal convoluted tubule, cell pH was measured fluorometrically in the in vivo microperfused rat proximal tubule with (2',7')-bis(carboxyethyl)-(5,6)-carboxyfluorescein. The effect of luminal chloride addition was examined in tubules perfused symmetrically with chloride-free solutions. In the absence of inhibitors, luminal chloride addition did not affect cell pH. However, after inhibition of basolateral membrane anion transport with peritubular 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-(2,2')-disulfonic-stilbene (to amplify effects of apical membrane transport on cell pH), luminal chloride addition caused a small cell acidification (delta pHi = 0.02). When 1 mM formate was added to the solutions, luminal chloride addition caused a larger change in cell pH (delta pHi = 0.06) that was inhibited by (4,4')-diisothiocyano-(2,2')-disulfonic-stilbene. This stimulation of Cl/base exchange was not seen with 1 mM acetate addition. These results demonstrate apical membrane Cl/base exchange, a significant fraction of which is dependent on the presence of formate and probably represents Cl/formate exchange.