Mechanisms of cation permeation across apical cell membrane of Necturus gallbladder: effects of luminal pH and divalent cations on K+ and Na+ permeability.

Conventional microelectrode techniques were combined with unilateral mucosal ionic substitutions to determine the effects of luminal pH and luminal alkali-earth cation concentrations on apical membrane cation permeability in Necturus gallbladder epithelium. Acidification of the mucosal solution caused reversible depolarization of both cell membranes and increase of transepithelial resistance. Low pH media also caused: (a) reduction of the apical membrane depolarization induced by high K, and (b) increase of the apical membrane hyperpolarization produced by Na replacement with Li or N-Methyl-D-glucamine. These results, in conjunction with estimates of cell membrane conductances, indicate that acidification of the luminal solution produces a reduction of apical membrane K permeability (PK). Addition of alkali earth cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, or Ba2+) produced cell membrane depolarization, increase of relative resistance of the luminal membrane and reduction of the apical membrane potential change produced by a high-K mucosal medium. These results, as those produced by low pH, can be explained by a reduction of apical membrane PK. The effects of Ba2+ on membrane potential and relative apical membrane PK were larger than those of all other four cations at all concentrations tested (1-10 mM). The effect of Sr2+ was significantly larger than those of Mg2+ and Ca2+ at 10 mM, but not different at 5 mM. The reduction of PK produced by mucosal acidification appears to be mediated by: (a) nonspecific titration of membrane fixed negative charges, and (b) an effect of luminal proton activity on the apical K channel. Divalent cations reduce apical membrane PK probably by screening negative surface charges. The larger magnitude of the effects of Ba2+ and Sr2+ can be explained by binding to membrane sites, in the surface or in the K channel, in addition to their screening effect. We suggest that the action of luminal pH on K secretion in some segments of the renal tubule could be mediated in part by this pH-dependent K permeability of the luminal membrane.