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Na(+)-HCO3- symport in the sheep cardiac Purkinje fibre

Dart C, Vaughan-Jones RD

The Journal of physiology, 1992

43 participants

Abstract

1. Intracellular pH (pHi) was recorded in isolated sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres using liquid sensor ion-selective microelectrodes in conjunction with conventional (3 M-KCl) microelectrodes (to record membrane potential). 2. In HEPES-buffered solution (pH0 7.4), pHi recovery from an intracellular acid load (20 mM-NH4Cl removal) was blocked by 1 mM-amiloride, consistent with the inhibition of Na(+)-H+ exchange. Replacement of the HEPES buffer with CO2-HCO3- caused a transient acidosis followed by an amiloride-resistant recovery of pHi to more alkaline levels (n = 43). This implies the presence of a HCO3(-)-dependent pHi regulatory mechanism. 3. Comparison of the membrane potential with the equilibrium potential for HCO3- ions (EHCO3) estimated during amiloride-resistant pHi recovery, showed that for polarized fibres (membrane potential Em approximately -80 mV), there was a net outward electrochemical driving force for HCO3- ions. Hence the amiloride-resistant pHi recovery cannot be explained in terms of passive HCO3- influx through membrane channels. 4. Removal of external Na+ (Na0+ replaced by N-methyl-D-glucamine) inhibited HCO3(-)-dependent pHi recovery, whereas removal of external Cl- (leading to depletion of internal Cl-; Cl0- replaced by glucuronate) or short-term removal of extracellular K+ had no inhibitory effect. We suggest that a Na(+)-HCO3- co-influx causes the recovery. Replacement of external Na+ with Li+ greatly reduced HCO3(-)-dependent pHi recovery indicating…

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