Effects of ion transport inhibition on rat mandibular gland secretion

The apical Na+ -HCO3 - cotransporter Slc4a7 (NBCn1) does not contribute to bicarbonate transport by mouse salivary gland ducts

The HCO₃ ^- secretion mechanism in salivary glands is unclear but is thought to rely on the co-ordinated activity of multiple ion transport proteins including members of the Slc4 family of bicarbonate transporters. Slc4a7 was immunolocalized to the apical membrane of mouse submandibular duct cells. In contrast, Slc4a7 was not detected in acinar cells, and correspondingly, Slc4a7 disruption did not affect fluid secretion in response to cholinergic or β-adrenergic stimulation in the submandibular gland (SMG). Much of the Na ⁺ -dependent intracellular pH (pH _i ) regulation in SMG duct cells was insensitive to 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid, S0859, and to the removal of extracellular HCO ₃ ^- . Consistent with these latter observations, the Slc4a7 null mutation had no impact on HCO ₃ ^- secretion nor on pH _i regulation in duct cells. Taken together, our results revealed that Slc4a7 targets to the apical membrane of mouse SMG duct cells where it contributes little if any to pH _i regulation or stimulated HCO ₃ ^- secretion.

Molecular mechanism of pancreatic and salivary gland fluid and HCO3 secretion

Fluid and HCO(3)(-) secretion is a vital function of all epithelia and is required for the survival of the tissue. Aberrant fluid and HCO(3)(-) secretion is associated with many epithelial diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, Sjögren's syndrome, and other epithelial inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Significant progress has been made over the last 20 years in our understanding of epithelial fluid and HCO(3)(-) secretion, in particular by secretory glands. Fluid and HCO(3)(-) secretion by secretory glands is a two-step process. Acinar cells secrete isotonic fluid in which the major salt is NaCl. Subsequently, the duct modifies the volume and electrolyte composition of the fluid to absorb the Cl(-) and secrete HCO(3)(-). The relative volume secreted by acinar and duct cells and modification of electrolyte composition of the secreted fluids varies among secretory glands to meet their physiological functions. In the pancreas, acinar cells secrete a small amount of NaCl-rich fluid, while the duct absorbs the Cl(-) and secretes HCO(3)(-) and the bulk of the fluid in the pancreatic juice. Fluid secretion appears to be driven by active HCO(3)(-) secretion. In the salivary glands, acinar cells secrete the bulk of the fluid in the saliva that is driven by active Cl(-) secretion and contains high concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-). The salivary glands duct absorbs both the Na(+) and Cl(-) and secretes K(+) and HCO(3)(-). In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanism of fluid and HCO(3)(-) secretion by the pancreas and salivary glands, to highlight the similarities of the fundamental mechanisms of acinar and duct cell functions, and to point out the differences to meet gland-specific secretions.

Tri-phasic modulation of ACh- and NA-maintained calcium plateau by high potassium in isolated mouse submandibular granular convoluted tubular cells

OBJECTIVES

The fact that submandibular glands secrete a large amount of potassium ion upon nerve stimulation has long been recognized, but a physiological role for such high potassium in the saliva has never been systematically investigated. In the present work, high potassium effect has been investigated in the freshly isolated mouse submandibular granular convoluted tubules.

DESIGN

Isolated intact mouse submandibular granular convoluted tubules were loaded with Fura-2, and cytosolic calcium concentration in individual tubular cells was measured by microscopic fluorospectrometry.

RESULTS

It was found that high potassium had no effect on basal cytosolic calcium concentration, but had a tri-phasic modulation of the calcium plateau maintained by continued stimulation by acetylcholine (ACh) or noradrenaline (NA): a minor initial transient depression, followed by steady increase, completed by a robust calcium rebound spike upon removal of high potassium. The phase of steady increase was blocked without major effect on the plateau by KB-R 7943, a sodium/calcium exchange (NCX) inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

These data together suggest that high potassium in saliva bathing the mouse submandibular granular convoluted tubular cells has a potent feedback effect on ACh and NA stimulation, and sodium/calcium exchange is likely to play a major role in this process. Such positive feedback actions of high potassium may suggest a role for enhancing ACh- or NA-stimulated protein factor secretion from the granulated convoluted tubular cells.

Channels and transporters in salivary glands

According to the two-stage hypothesis, primary saliva, a NaCl-rich plasma-like isotonic fluid is secreted by salivary acinar cells and its ionic composition becomes modified in the duct system. The ducts secrete K(+) and HCO (3) (-) and reabsorb Na(+) and Cl(-) without any water movement, thus establishing a hypotonic final saliva. Salivary secretion depends on the coordinated action of several channels and transporters localized in the apical and basolateral membrane of acinar and duct cells. Early functional studies in perfused glands, followed by the molecular cloning of several transport proteins and the subsequent analysis of mutant mice, have greatly contributed to our understanding of salivary fluid and the electrolyte secretion process. With a few exceptions, most of the key channels and transporters involved in salivary secretion have now been identified and characterized. However, the picture that has emerged from all these studies is one of a complex molecular network characterized by redundancy for several transport proteins, compensatory mechanisms, and adaptive changes in health and disease. Current research is directed to the molecular interactions between the determinants and the ways in which they are regulated by extracellular signals and intracellular mediators. This review focuses on the functionally and molecularly best-characterized channels and transporters that are considered to be involved in transepithelial fluid and electrolyte transport in salivary glands.

Altered expression of sodium transporters and water channels in the submandibular gland of rats treated with nitric oxide synthesis inhibitors

A role of nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of sodium transporters and water channels in the salivary gland was investigated. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with N^G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 mg/L drinking water) for 1 week. The control group was supplied with normal tap water. The expression of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase, type 2 Na⁺/K⁺/2Cl^- cotransporter (NKCC2), type 1 Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger (NHE1), α-subunit of epithelial sodium transporter (ENaC), and aquaporin-5 (AQP5) and aquaporin-1 (AQP1) proteins were determined in the submandibular gland by Western blot analysis. Following the treatment with L-NAME, the expression of Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase α1-subunit, NKCC2, NHE1, and ENaC α-subunit increased significantly. On the contrary, the expression of AQP5 was significantly decreased, while that of AQP1 was not significantly altered. These findings indicate that the sodium transporters and water channels may be under a tonic regulatory influence of NO in the salivary gland.

Suppression of carbachol-induced oscillatory Cl- secretion by forskolin in rat parotid and submandibular acinar cells

Sympathetic stimulation induces weak salivation compared with parasympathetic stimulation. To clarify this phenomenon in salivary glands, we investigated cAMP-induced modulation of Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) secretion from rat parotid and submandibular acinar cells because fluid secretion from salivary glands depends on the Cl(-) secretion. Carbachol (Cch), a Ca(2+)-increasing agent, induced hyperpolarization of the cells with oscillatory depolarization in the current clamp mode of the gramicidin-perforated patch recording. In the voltage clamp mode at -80 mV, Cch induced a bumetanide-sensitive oscillatory inward current, which was larger in rat submandibular acinar cells than in parotid acinar cells. Forskolin and IBMX, cAMP-increasing agents, did not induce any marked current, but they evoked a small nonoscillatory inward current in the presence of Cch and suppressed the Cch-induced oscillatory inward current in all parotid acinar cells and half (56%) of submandibular acinar cells. In the current clamp mode, forskolin + IBMX evoked a small nonoscillatory depolarization in the presence of Cch and reduced the amplitude of Cch-induced oscillatory depolarization in both acinar cells. The oscillatory inward current estimated at the depolarized membrane potential was suppressed by forskolin + IBMX. These results indicate that cAMP suppresses Ca(2+)-activated oscillatory Cl(-) secretion of parotid and submandibular acinar cells at -80 mV and possibly at the membrane potential during Cch stimulation. The suppression may result in the weak salivation induced by sympathetic stimulation.

Pharmacological investigation of the role of ion channels in salivary secretion

The role of K+ and Cl- channels in salivary secretion was investigated, with emphasis on the potential role of Ca2+ -activated K+ channels. Ligand saturation kinetic assays and autoradiography showed large-conductance (BK) K+ channels to be highly expressed in rat submandibular and parotid glands, whereas low-conductance (SK) K+ channels could not be detected. To investigate the role of K+ and Cl- channels in secretion, intact rabbit submandibular glands were vascularly perfused and secretion induced by 10 microM ACh. Secretion was inhibited by 34+/-3% following perfusion with the general K+ channel inhibitor Ba2+ (5 mM), whereas organic inhibitors of BK (200 nM paxilline) or intermediate-conductance (IK) K+ channels (5 microM clotrimazole) had no effect. Secretion was strongly influenced by Cl- channel inhibitors, as 100 microM 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoate (NPPB) completely abolished, while 10 microM NPPB, 20 microM NS1652 and 20 microM NS3623 reduced secretion by 34+/-3%, 23+/-3% and 59+/-4%, respectively. In conclusion, although high expression levels of BK channels were demonstrated, pharmacological tools failed to demonstrate any role for BK, IK or SK channels in salivary secretion in the rabbit submandibular gland. Other types of K+ channel, however, and particularly Cl- channels, are essential for ACh-induced salivary secretion.

Carbachol-induced fluid movement through methazolamide-sensitive bicarbonate production in rat parotid intralobular ducts: quantitative analysis of fluorescence images using fluorescent dye sulforhodamine under a confocal laser scanning microscope

Fluid secretion is observed at the openings of ducts in the exocrine gland. It remains unclear whether the ducts are involved in fluid secretion in the salivary glands. In the present study, we investigated the exclusion of fluorescent dye from the duct lumen by carbachol (CCh) in isolated parotid intralobular duct segments to clarify the ability of the ducts for the fluid secretion. When the membrane-impermeable fluorescent dye, sulforhodamine, was added to the superfused extracellular solution, quantitative fluorescence images of the duct lumen were obtained under the optical sectioning at the level of the duct lumen using a confocal laser scanning microscope. CCh decreased the fluorescent intensity in the duct lumen during the superfusion of the fluorescent dye, and CCh flushed out small viscous substances stained with the fluorescent dye from isolated duct lumen, suggesting that CCh might induce fluid secretion in the duct, leading to the clearance of the dye and small stained clumps from the duct lumen. CCh-induced clearance of the fluorescent dye was divided into two phases by the sensitivity to external Ca2+ and methazolamide, an inhibitor for carbonic anhydrase. The initial phase was insensitive to these, and the subsequent late phase was sensitive to these. A major portion in the late phase was inhibited by removal of bicarbonate in the superfusion solution and DPC, but not low concentration of external Cl-, bumetanide or DIDS, suggesting that methazolamide-sensitive production of HCO3-, but not the Cl- uptake mechanism, might contribute to the CCh-induced clearance of the dye from the duct lumen. These results represent the first measurements of fluid movement in isolated duct segments, and suggest that carbachol might evoke fluid secretion possibly through Ca2+-activated, DPC-sensitive anion channels with HCO3- secretion in the rat parotid intralobular ducts.

Expression of a sodium bicarbonate cotransporter in human parotid salivary glands

The human parotid gland secretes much of the bicarbonate that enters the mouth. Prompted by studies of animal models, this study sought evidence for the expression of a functional Na(+)-HCO(3)(-) cotransporter (NBC) in human parotid acinar cells. Microfluorometric measurements of intracellular pH in isolated acini showed that the recovery from an acid load was achieved in part by HCO(3)(-) uptake via a Na(+)-dependent, DIDS-sensitive mechanism. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, a full-length NBC1 clone was obtained showing more than 99% homology with the human pancreatic isoform hpNBC1. Expressed in Xenopus oocytes, the electrogenicity of the transporter was detected as an inwardly directed, Na(+)- and HCO(3)(-)-dependent flux of negative charge. Immunohistochemistry using antibodies raised to NBC1 showed strong staining of the basolateral membrane of the acinar cells. Therefore, it was concluded that a functional electrogenic Na(+)-HCO(3)(-) cotransporter is expressed in the human parotid gland, and that it contributes to pH regulation in the acinar cells and could play a significant part in salivary secretion.

Identification and regulation of K+ and Cl- channels in human parotid acinar cells

The properties of K+ channels in these cells were studied using patch-clamp methods. Two channels, with conductances of 165+/-13 pS (n=6) and 30+/-1 pS (n=3), were identified in single-channel experiments. In cell-attached patches the reversal potentials were -67+/-8 and -74+/-2 mV for the large and small conductance channel, respectively, suggesting that both channels are K+-selective. The large conductance channel was also shown to be K+-selective in inside-out patches. The open probability (P(o)) of this channel was increased at depolarizing potentials and by increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). These properties suggest that the large conductance channel is a 'maxi' Ca2+-activated K+ channel (BK(Ca)). The small conductance channel was not observed in inside-out patches. Carbachol (CCh; 10(-5) M) activated the BK(Ca) channel, but not the small conductance channel, in cell-attached patches. CCh also caused a dose-dependent increase in [Ca2+]i measured by fura-2 in microspectrofluorimetric studies, with a half-maximal response at approximately 3x10(-6) M. Neither isoproterenol (10(-5) M) nor substance P (10(-6) M) affected K+-channel activity or [Ca2+]i. In whole-cell experiments, CCh caused an increase in outward current. Charybdotoxin (10(-7) M), a BK(Ca) blocker, inhibited a large component of the CCh-induced current. A large component of the charybdotoxin-insensitive current may be carried by Ca2+-activated Cl- channels, which were also observed in human parotid acinar cells. The results indicate that BK(Ca) channels make a significant contribution to the whole-cell conductance in human parotid acinar cells.

Autonomic nervous control of venous pressure and secretion in submandibular gland of anesthetized dogs

In dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium, hilar venous pressure (Phv) and secretion were measured from the submandibular gland receiving spontaneous blood flow or vascular perfusion at the normal resting flow rate. Parasympathetic nerve stimulation and ACh-induced secretion increased Phv and its pulse pressure; Phv also showed an obvious arterial (or perfusion pressure)-like waveform. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) exerted similar effects on Phv but produced negligible secretion. Sympathetic nerve stimulation, phenylephrine, and clonidine did not induce secretion and had no significant action on Phv, whereas isoproterenol provoked secretion and changed Phv as with parasympathetic stimulation. Background or superimposed sympathetic nerve stimulation reduced the parasympathetic nerve-induced responses; the sympathetic inhibition was abolished by phentolamine and yohimbine but not by prazosin and propranolol. The results suggest a direct relationship between Phv and secretion during parasympathetic salivation: the elevation in Phv was primarily independent of the concurrent blood flow response, mediated via muscarinic and peptidergic mechanisms, and related to an opening of arteriovenous anastomoses. Sympathetic inhibition of parasympathetic salivation may be related to prevention of an increased Phv exerted primarily via the alpha2-adrenergic mechanism.

Regulation of changes in cytosolic Ca2+ and Na+ concentrations in rat submandibular gland acini exposed to carbachol and ATP

The relationship between cytosolic concentrations of Ca2+ (Ca2i) and Na+ (Na+i) were studied in preparations of rat submandibular and pancreatic acini loaded with the Ca(2+)-sensitive dye Fura-2 or the Na(+)-sensitive dye SBFI. Pancreatic acini showed no changes in Na+i during either transient or persistent changes in Ca2+i. Increases in Ca2+i produced by exposure of submandibular gland acini to carbachol, a muscarinic cholinergic agonist, were followed by an increase in Na+i after a delay of 5-10 s. When Ca2+ stores were mobilized without Ca2+ influx Na+i also increased, but in acini loaded with BAPTA, a nonfluorescent Ca2+ chelator, the transient increase in Ca2+ caused by mobilization of stored Ca2+ was virtually abolished, as was the increase in Na+i. In the presence of inomycin, increases in Ca2+i were followed by increases in Na+i. Ca(2+)-dependent increases in Na+i were abolished in Na(+)-free buffer and by the presence of furosemide, a blocker of Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport. In other studies, extracellular ATP (ATPo) produced an increase in Ca2+i and Na+i. The steady-state increase in Ca(i)2+ was reduced by increasing extracellular Na+ concentrations (Na+o in dose-dependent fashion (IC50 = 16.4 +/- 4.7 mM Na+). Likewise, increasing Na+o reduced ATPo-stimulated 45Ca2+ uptake at steady state (IC50 = 15.8 +/- 9.2 mM Na+). Changing Na+o had no effect on carbachol-stimulated increases in Ca2+i. We conclude that, in rat submandibular gland acini, ATPo promotes an increase in Ca2+i and Na+i via a common influx pathway and that, under physiologic conditions, Na+ significantly limits the ATPo-stimulated increase in Ca2+i. In the presence of carbachol, however, Na+i rises in Ca2+i-dependent fashion in submandibular gland acini via stimulation of Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransport.

Na+ influx mechanisms in submandibular salivary cells of newborn rats

Uptake of this isotopic tracer was essentially the same as in cells derived from salivary glands of adult animals, both in the absence and in the presence of 1 microM acetylcholine, 10 microM monensin or 10 microM A23187. Tracer accumulation in resting cells was inhibited in the immature cells by 1 mM amiloride but the inhibition was significantly smaller than in fully mature cells (16 and 33%, respectively). Bumetanide inhibited tracer uptake by 28% in mature cells not exposed to agonist, but had essentially no effect in those of newborn rats. The tracer content of adult cells exposed to acetylcholine in Ca(2+)-free incubation solutions was significantly reduced when compared to that of cells exposed to agonist in solutions containing 1.0 mM CaCl2. A similar but significantly smaller reduction in tracer content was observed in cells of newborn animals incubated in the Ca(2+)-free medium. The inhibition of 22Na uptake observed in the presence of amiloride was the same in both types of cells in the presence or absence of external Ca2+. The findings suggest that Na entry into immature salivary cells of newborn rats is quantitatively similar to that in mature cells, but that the contribution of the loop diuretic-sensitive co-transporter and of the amiloride-sensitive Na/H exchange to Na+ entry is less in the immature cells. Na entry in the immature cells is likely to occur, therefore, primarily by other mechanisms such as Ca(2+)-regulated channels.

Tetraethylammonium blocks muscarinically evoked secretion in the sheep parotid gland by a mechanism additional to its blockade of BK channels

Since the secretory cells of the sheep parotid gland contain large numbers of high-conductance, voltage- and Ca(2+)-activated K+ channels (BK channels), we have used tetraethylammonium (TEA), a commonly employed blocker of BK channels, to investigate their role in secretion by this gland. In patch-clamp studies we found that 10 mmol/l TEA applied extracellularly inhibits the BK channel but not a 30-pS K+ channel also seen in this gland. We then showed by in-vivo perfusion that muscarinically evoked secretion is inhibited almost completely by 10 mmol/l TEA. We next used microspectrofluorimetry with fura-2 to demonstrate that muscarinic agonists cause the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration to increase. Unexpectedly, however, we found that 0.3-10 mmol/l TEA inhibited the increase in intracellular free Ca2+ induced by 5.0 mumol/l bethanechol or by 0.1 mumol/l acetylcholine. Consequently we conclude that the inhibition of muscarinically evoked secretion by the sheep parotid gland by TEA cannot be attributed solely to blockade of the BK channel--rather it must be attributed, at least in part, to blockade of some step in muscarinic signal transduction, for instance, receptor-agonist binding or Ca2+ release into the cytosol.

Response of rat parotid acini to barium

The effect of barium on isolated acini was tested. Barium in the 0.1-10 mM concentration range non-competitively inhibited the efflux of 86Rb+ stimulated by carbamylcholine or substance P. This inhibition was independent of the presence of calcium in the extracellular medium. In the same preparation, barium did not affect the efflux of 45Ca2+ but, at a 10 mM concentration, it increased amylase release by 70%. Removal of extracellular calcium decreased basal amylase release and the response to carbamylcholine. Adding back calcium or barium to the incubation medium increased basal and carbamylcholine-stimulated amylase secretion, but calcium was more effective than barium. These results suggest that barium has two opposite effects on calcium-regulated processes in rat parotid gland: (1) it is an inhibitor of calcium-activated potassium channels; (2) it is a partial agonist of calcium-activated amylase secretion.

Water permeability of acinar cell membranes in the isolated perfused rabbit mandibular salivary gland

1. The diffusive water permeability of epithelial cell membranes in the perfused rabbit mandibular salivary gland was measured at 37 degrees C by a 1H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation method using an extracellular relaxation reagent, gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd(DTPA)). 2. In glands perfused with a HEPES-buffered solution containing 10 mmol l-1 Gd(DTPA), the spin-lattice (T1) relaxation of the water protons showed two exponential components. The water compartment responsible for the slower component corresponded in magnitude to 71 +/- 5% of the wet weight of the gland, and was attributed to the exchangeable intracellular water of the acinar cells. 3. The rate constant for water efflux from the cells was estimated to be 4.1 +/- 0.1 s-1 which would be consistent with a diffusive membrane permeability (Pd) of approximately 3 x 10(-3) cm s-1. Stimulation with acetylcholine (10(-6) mol l-1) did not cause any detectable change in membrane water permeability. 4. Since the basolateral membrane probably provides the main pathway for water efflux, the osmotic water permeability of this barrier (expressed per gland) was estimated to be less than 6.2 cm3 s-1. This would be insufficient to account for the generation of a near-isosmotic fluid at the flow rates observed during secretion, and suggests that a substantial fraction of the flow of water occurs via a paracellular route.

The effects of sucralose on coronal and root-surface caries

Sucralose is an intensely sweet, chlorinated carbohydrate structurally similar to sucrose; thus, its cariogenic potential is of great interest. Four groups of 12 Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with Streptococcus mutans (sobrinus), caged in a König-Höfer programmed feeding machine, and fed diet 2000 or modified diet to contain sucralose at various concentrations instead of sucrose. Rats fed sucralose diet developed significantly fewer lesions than did the rats fed regular diet 2000. Animals fed diet 2000 also harbored more S. mutans (sobrinus) than did the other groups of animals. In a concurrent study, desalivated rats were inoculated with S. mutans (sobrinus) and Actinomyces viscosus. They were fed (ad libitum) either diet 2000 (contains 56% sucrose) or diet 2000 minus sucrose plus 93 mg% sucralose. The severity of caries lesions in the sucralose-fed rats after 35 days was significantly less than those in the sucrose-fed rats. The amount of root exposure was the same in both groups. However, root-surface caries did not develop in the sucralose-fed rats. These results show that sucralose is non-cariogenic in rats.

Amiloride inhibits 22Na uptake and [3H]QNB binding in rat submandibular cells

Dispersed acini isolated by collagenase digestion of the rat submandibular gland were used to compare the effects of amiloride and furosemide on the uptake of the isotopic tracer 22Na and on the binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzylate ([3H]QNB). In mM concentrations, both inhibitors reduced 22Na uptake in resting cells 34 and 25-29%, respectively. Acetylcholine (1 microM) enhanced uptake 23% and this effect was reduced 45% by amiloride and 26% by furosemide. Amiloride inhibited the binding of [3H]QNB to crude membranes prepared from fresh submandibular glands in a dose-dependent fashion (IC50 = 8 x 10(-6) M). Furosemide (3 x 10(-8) to 10(-3) M) did not inhibit radioligand binding. Na influx into resting salivary acini thus appears to occur by both amiloride-sensitive and furosemide-sensitive transport systems. The similar inhibition by furosemide of unstimulated and stimulated uptake of 22Na suggests that acetylcholine does not significantly activate the cotransport system within the time frame (i.e., 2 min) of the experiments. Acetylcholine appears to activate an amiloride-sensitive Na/H antiport, but amiloride blocks cholinergic receptors and may thus affect Na transport by receptor blockade. Other actions of amiloride, such as its ability to penetrate into cells and to act as a weak base which alters intracellular pH, may also contribute to the inhibition of Na entry into salivary cells.

Effects of muscarinic, alpha-adrenergic, and substance P agonists and ionomycin on ion transport mechanisms in the rat parotid acinar cell. The dependence of ion transport on intracellular calcium

The relationship between receptor-mediated increases in the intracellular free calcium concentration [( Ca]i) and the stimulation of ion fluxes involved in fluid secretion was examined in the rat parotid acinar cell. Agonist-induced increases in [Ca]i caused the rapid net loss of up to 50-60% of the total content of intracellular chloride (Cli) and potassium (Ki), which is consistent with the activation of calcium-sensitive chloride and potassium channels. These ion movements were accompanied by a 25% reduction in the intracellular volume. The relative magnitudes of the losses of Ki and the net potassium fluxes promoted by carbachol (a muscarinic agonist), phenylephrine (an alpha-adrenergic agonist), and substance P were very similar to their characteristic effects on elevating [Ca]i. Carbachol stimulated the loss of Ki through multiple efflux pathways, including the large-conductance Ca-activated K channel. Carbachol and substance P increased the levels of intracellular sodium (Nai) to more than 2.5 times the normal level by stimulating the net uptake of sodium through multiple pathways; Na-K-2Cl cotransport accounted for greater than 50% of the influx, and approximately 20% was via Na-H exchange, which led to a net alkalinization of the cells. Ionomycin stimulated similar fluxes through these two pathways, but also promoted sodium influx through an additional pathway which was nearly equivalent in magnitude to the combined uptake through the other two pathways. The carbachol-induced increase in Nai and decrease in Ki stimulated the activity of the sodium pump, measured by the ouabain-sensitive rate of oxygen consumption, to nearly maximal levels. In the absence of extracellular calcium or in cells loaded with the calcium chelator BAPTA (bis[o-aminophenoxy]ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid) the magnitudes of agonist- or ionomycin-stimulated ion fluxes were greatly reduced. The parotid cells displayed a marked desensitization to substance P; within 10 min the elevation of [Ca]i and alterations in Ki, Nai, and cell volume spontaneously returned to near baseline levels. In addition to quantitating the activation of various ion flux pathways in the rat parotid acinar cell, these results demonstrate that the activation of ion transport systems responsible for fluid secretion in this tissue is closely linked to the elevation of [Ca]i.

Inhibition of 36Cl uptake by stilbene sulphonic acid derivatives and loop diuretics in rat submandibular salivary acini

Acini were isolated from submandibular glands by enzymatic digestion and incubated in HCO3-containing and HCO3-free [hydroxyethyl-1-piperazine-ethane sulphonic acid (HEPES) buffered] solutions to compare the accumulation of the isotopic tracer 36Cl in the absence and presence of stilbene sulphonic acid derivatives and of loop diuretics. Tracer accumulation was similar in both solutions in the absence of inhibitors and reached 17-19 nmol/mg protein after 5 min of incubation. Exposure to 10(-3) M 4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-stilbene disulphonic acid (DIDS) or to 10(-4) M bumetanide in HCO3-buffered medium resulted in significant reductions in both the initial phase (from 0 to 5 min) and the steady-state phase (5-30 min) of 36Cl accumulation. By contrast, in HCO3-free, HEPES-buffered incubation solution, DIDS was significantly less effective in reducing 36Cl accumulation, while bumetanide was somewhat more effective than in HCO3-buffered medium. At a higher dose (10(-3) M), furosemide was less effective than bumetanide in reducing the steady-state tracer content of the cells in the HCO3-buffered medium (22% versus 35% reduction), although the effects were similar in the initial phase of tracer uptake. Exposure to 10(-4) M 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (SITS) caused an increase in the steady-state 36Cl content of the acini of 24 +/- 9%. Exposure to bumetanide and DIDS caused an additive reduction of tracer content, while exposure to bumetanide and SITS resulted in a smaller reduction than with bumetanide alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)