Weak electrolyte permeation in alimentary epithelia.

The potential significance of ionized species in weak electrolyte absorption or secretion has been reexamined using a mathematical model that represents the epithelium as a system of parallel ion-permeable and ion-impermeable channels. An important determinant of weak electrolyte movement in this system is the ratio of ionized and nonionized permeabilities (Pi/Pni). This variable, which has been termed the discrimination coefficient, interacts with the degree of ionization in determining the contributions of ionized and nonionized species to the transepithelial movement of a weak electrolyte. Calculations based on the model suggest that ionized species may contribute significantly to the absorption or secretion of many common weak electrolytes. It is concluded that the frequently made assumption that ionized species do not contribute significantly to transepithelial movements of weak electrolytes in the alimentary tract is not generally valid. Further work is required to delineate the quantitative determinants of discrimination in alimentary epithelia, and two methods for evaluation of epithelial discrimination coefficients are described.