External Concentrations Of Na Research Articles

Revised Ion/Substrate Coupling Stoichiometry of GABA Transporters.

The purpose of this review is to highlight recent evidence in support of a 3 Na+: 1 Cl-: 1 GABA coupling stoichiometry for plasma membrane GABA transporters (SLC6A1 , SLC6A11 , SLC6A12 , SLC6A13 ) and how the revised stoichiometry impacts our understanding of the contribution of GABA transporters to GABA homeostasis in synaptic and extrasynaptic regions in the brain under physiological and pathophysiological states. Recently, our laboratory probed the GABA transporter stoichiometry by analyzing the results of six independent measurements, which included the shifts in the thermodynamic transporter reversal potential caused by changes in the extracellular Na+, Cl-, and GABA concentrations, as well as the ratio of charge flux to substrate flux for Na+, Cl-, and GABA under voltage-clamp conditions. The shifts in the transporter reversal potential for a tenfold change in the external concentration of Na+, Cl-, and GABA were 84 ± 4, 30 ± 1, and 29 ± 1 mV, respectively. Charge flux to substrate flux ratios were 0.7 ± 0.1 charges/Na+, 2.0 ± 0.2 charges/Cl-, and 2.1 ± 0.1 charges/GABA. We then compared these experimental results with the predictions of 150 different transporter stoichiometry models, which included 1-5 Na+, 0-5 Cl-, and 1-5 GABA per transport cycle. Only the 3 Na+: 1 Cl-: 1 GABA stoichiometry model correctly predicts the results of all six experimental measurements. Using the revised 3 Na+: 1 Cl-: 1 GABA stoichiometry, we propose that the GABA transporters mediate GABA uptake under most physiological conditions. Transporter-mediated GABA release likely takes place under pathophysiological or extreme physiological conditions.

Length-dependent Ca2+ activation in skeletal muscle fibers from mammalians.

We tested the hypotheses that 1) a decrease in activation of skeletal muscles at short sarcomere lengths (SLs) is caused by an inhibition of Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), and 2) the decrease in Ca(2+) would be caused by an inhibition of action potential conduction from the periphery to the core of the fibers. Intact, single fibers dissected from the flexor digitorum brevis from mice were activated at different SLs, and intracellular Ca(2+) was imaged with confocal microscopy. Force decreased at SLs shorter than 2.1 μm, while Ca(2+) concentration decreased at SLs below 1.9 μm. The concentration of Ca(2+) at short SL was lower at the core than at the peripheries of the fiber. When the external concentration of Na(+) was decreased in the experimental media, impairing action potential conduction, Ca(2+) gradients were observed in all SLs. When caffeine was used in the experimental media, the gradients of Ca(2+) were abolished. We concluded that there is an inhibition of Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) at short SLs, which results from a decreased conduction of action potential from the periphery to the core of the fibers.

Evidence for a Revised Ion/Substrate Coupling Stoichiometry of GABA Transporters.

Plasma membrane γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters (GATs) are electrogenic transport proteins that couple the cotranslocation of Na(+), Cl(-), and GABA across the plasma membrane of neurons and glia. A fundamental property of the transporter that determines its ability to concentrate GABA in cells and, hence, regulate synaptic and extra-synaptic GABA concentrations, is the ion/substrate coupling stoichiometry. Here, we scrutinized the currently accepted 2 Na(+):1 Cl(-):1 GABA stoichiometry because it is inconsistent with the measured net charge translocated per co-substrate (Na(+), Cl(-), and GABA). We expressed GAT1 and GAT3 in Xenopus laevis oocytes and utilized thermodynamic and uptake under voltage-clamp measurements to determine the stoichiometry of the GABA transporters. Voltage-clamped GAT1-expressing oocytes were internally loaded with GABA, and the reversal potential (V rev) of the transporter-mediated current was recorded at different external concentrations of Na(+), Cl(-), or GABA. The shifts in V rev for a tenfold change in the external Na(+), Cl(-), and GABA concentration were 84±4, 30±1, and 29±1mV, respectively. To determine the net charge translocated per Na(+), Cl(-), and GABA, we measured substrate fluxes under voltage clamp in cells expressing GAT1 or GAT3. Charge flux to substrate flux ratios were 0.7±0.1 charge/Na(+), 2.0±0.2 charges/Cl(-), and 2.1±0.1 charges/GABA. Altogether, our results strongly suggest a 3 Na(+):1 Cl(-):1 GABA coupling stoichiometry for the GABA transporters. The revised stoichiometry has important implications for understanding the contribution of GATs to GABAergic signaling in health and disease.

Na+/K+‐ATPase inhibitor palytoxin enhances vulnerability of cultured cerebellar neurons to domoic acid via sodium‐dependent mechanisms

Dysfunction or deficiency of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase appears to be a common event in a variety of pathological conditions in the central nervous system. Studies on neurotoxicity associated to impaired Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity have focused on NMDA receptors, while the involvement of non-NMDA receptors has been much less explored. We show that mild, non-toxic, exposures to the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibitor palytoxin (PTX) synergistically sensitized the vulnerability of neurons to normally non-toxic concentrations of domoic acid, leaving NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxic response unaltered. Enhancement of excitotoxicity required at least 1 h pre-exposure to PTX, was not observed after longer exposures to PTX, and did not require RNA synthesis. PTX caused a voltage-sensitive Na(+) channel-independent increase in intracellular Na(+). Both intracellular Na(+) increase and potentiation of excitotoxicity depended upon the external concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-), and were suppressed by the anion exchanger blocker 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2, 2'-disulfonic acid in a dose-dependent manner. Other stilbene derivatives, chloride channel antagonists or Na(+) cotransporter inhibitors proved ineffective. Our results demonstrate a crucial role for Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in determining neuronal vulnerability to domoic acid-mediated excitotoxicity. They also raise reasonable concern about possible risks for human health associated to the ingestion of low amounts of phycotoxins PTX and domoic acid in food.

Role of the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) in pacemaker activity in area postrema neurons of rat brain slices.

To clarify the functional properties of the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (Ih) as a pacemaker current in area postrema neurons, whole-cell recordings were made in visually identified cells in rat brain slices. The activation of Ih was identified in approximately 62 % of area postrema neurons tested. The cells displaying Ih showed a depolarizing "sag" in responses to hyperpolarizing current injection in current-clamp mode. The reversal potential for the Ih was -36 mV, and this was shown to depend on the external concentration of Na+ and K+ ions. Extracellular Cs+ ions (2 mM) and ZD7288 (100 microM), a potent selective Ih channel antagonist, blocked Ih and induced a membrane potential hyperpolarization, suggesting the sustained activation of Ih near the resting potential and a contribution from Ih to membrane potential maintenance at more depolarized levels. In contrast, extracellular Ba2+ ions caused a depolarization of the membrane potential, suggesting the blockade of inward rectifier K+ currents. ZD7288 decreased the spontaneous discharge rate by prolonging the slow depolarization between two spikes, with minimal effect on the amplitude of the afterhyperpolarization or action potential waveforms. Ih stabilized the latency of rebound action potentials. Ih was weakly activated by external 8-bromoadenosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate (1 mM) or forskolin (50-100 microM), indicating that the Ih channel subtypes in area postrema cells could be modulated by intracellular cAMP. Our findings indicate that Ih contributes to the subthreshold membrane and firing properties of rat area postrema neurons and may regulate their resting membrane potential and firing patterns.

Cocaine binds to a common site on open and inactivated human heart (Na(v)1.5) sodium channels.

The inhibition by cocaine of the human heart Na+ channel (Na(v)1.5) heterologously expressed in Xenopus oocytes was investigated. Cocaine produced little tonic block of the resting channels but induced a characteristic, use-dependent inhibition during rapid, repetitive stimulation, suggesting that the drug preferentially binds to the open or inactivated states of the channel. To investigate further the state dependence, depolarizing pulses were used to inactivate the channels and promote cocaine binding. Cocaine produced a slow, concentration-dependent inhibition of inactivated channels, which had an apparent K(D) of 3.4 microM. Mutations of the interdomain III-IV linker that remove fast inactivation selectively abolished this high-affinity component of cocaine inhibition, which appeared to be linked to the fast inactivation of the channels. A rapid component of cocaine inhibition persisted in the inactivation-deficient mutant that was enhanced by depolarization and was sensitive to changes in the concentration of external Na+, properties that are consistent with a pore-blocking mechanism. Cocaine induced a use-dependent inhibition of the non-inactivating mutant and delayed the repriming at hyperpolarized voltages, indicating that the drug slowly dissociated when the channels were closed. Mutation of a conserved aromatic residue (Y1767) of the D4S6 segment weakened both the inactivation-dependent and the pore-blocking components of the cocaine inhibition. The data indicate that cocaine binds to a common site located within the internal vestibule and inhibits cardiac Na+ channels by blocking the pore and by stabilizing the channels in an inactivated state.

The oppositely directed Ca2+ and Na+ transmembrane transport in algal cells

The countertransport of Ca2+ and Na+ across the membranes of the unicellular fresh-water algaChlamydomonas reinhardtii CW-15 and twoDunaliella species differing in salt tolerance was studied. All algae used are devoid of cell walls. The calcium uptake by twoDunaliella species depended markedly on the intracellular sodium concentration. This calcium uptake was accompanied by Na+ release. For 15 and 30 s after artificial gradient formation (Naint + greater than Naext +) the ratio of released Na+ to absorbed Ca2+ was 3∶1 and 4∶1, respectively. For the extremely halotolerantD. salina, the apparent Michaelis constant of the Ca2+ uptake was 33 μM, and for the marine halotolerant algaD. maritima, it was equal to 400 μM, presuming more efficient Na+-for-Ca2+ exchange inD. salina cells. Ouabain, an inhibitor of Na+/K+-ATPase, suppressed Na+ transfer by 25%, whereas the agents blocking Ca2+-channels did not affect the transport of Ca2+ and Na+. The oppositely directed transmembrane Ca2+ and Na+ transfer was shown to depend on the external concentrations of Na+ and H+. In the fresh-water algaC. reinhardtii CW-15 (Naext + greater than Naint +), the direction of Ca2+ and Na+ fluxes across the plasma membrane was opposite to those described for Dunaliella cells. The results obtained point to the ability of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger function in plasma membranes of algal cells.

Molecular characterization and in situ localization of a mouse retinal taurine transporter.

Various ocular tissues have a higher concentration of taurine than plasma. This taurine concentration gradient across the cell membrane is maintained by a high-affinity taurine transporter. To understand the physiological role of the taurine transporter in the retina, we cloned a taurine transporter encoding cDNA from a mouse retinal library, determined its biochemical and pharmacological properties, and identified the specific cellular sites expressing the taurine transporter mRNA. The deduced protein sequence of the mouse retinal taurine transporter (mTAUT) revealed >93% sequence identity to the canine kidney, rat brain, mouse brain, and human placental taurine transporters. Our data suggest that the mTAUT and the mouse brain taurine transporter may be variants of one another. The mTAUT synthetic RNA induced Na+- and Cl(-)-dependent [3H]taurine transport activity in Xenopus laevis oocytes that saturated with an average Km of 13.2 microM for taurine. Unlike the previous studies, we determined the rate of taurine uptake as the external concentration of Cl- was varied, a single saturation process with an average apparent equilibrium constant (K(Cl-)) of 17.7 mM. In contrast, the rate of taurine uptake showed a sigmoidal dependence when the external concentration of Na+ was varied (apparent equilibrium constant, K(Na+) approximately 54.8 mM). Analyses of the Na+- and Cl(-)-concentration dependence data suggest that at least two Na+ and one Cl- are required to transport one taurine molecule via the taurine transporter. Varying the pH of the transport buffer also affected the rate of taurine uptake; the rate showed a minimum between pH 6.0 and 6.5 and a maximum between pH 7.5 and 8.0. The taurine transport was inhibited by various inhibitors tested with the following order of potency: hypotaurine > beta-alanine > L-diaminopropionic acid > guanidinoethane sulfonate > beta-guanidinopropionic acid > chloroquine > gamma-aminobutyric acid > 3-amino-1-propanesulfonic acid (homotaurine). Furthermore, the mTAUT activity was not inhibited by the inactive phorbol ester 4alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate but was inhibited significantly by the active phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, which was both concentration and time dependent. The cellular sites expressing the taurine transporter mRNA in the mouse eye, as determined by in situ hybridization technique, showed low levels of expression in many of the ocular tissues, specifically the retina and the retinal pigment epithelium. Unexpectedly, the highest expression levels of taurine transporter mRNA were found instead in the ciliary body of the mouse eye.

Barium influx mediated by the cardiac sodium-calcium exchanger in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells.

We examined Ba2+ influx using isotopic and fura-2 techniques in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing the bovine cardiac Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (CK1.4 cells). Ba2+ competitively inhibited exchange-mediated 45Ca2+ uptake with a Ki approximately 3 mM. Ba2+ uptake was stimulated by pretreating the cells with ouabain and by removing extracellular Na+, as expected for Na+/Ba2+ exchange activity. The maximal velocity of Ba2+ accumulation was estimated to be 50% of that for Ca2+. When the monovalent cation ionophore gramicidin was used to equilibrate internal and external concentrations of Na+, Ba2+ influx was negligible in the absence of Na+ and increased to a maximum at 20-40 mM Na+. At higher Na+ concentrations, Ba2+ influx declined, presumably due to the competition between Na+ and Ba2+ for transport sites on the exchanger. Unlike Ca2+, Ba2+ did not appear to be taken up by intracellular organelles. Thus, 133Ba2+ uptake in ouabain-treated cells was not reduced by mitochondrial inhibitors such as-Cl-CCP or oligomycin-rotenone. Moreover, intracellular Ca2+ stores that had been depleted of Ca2+ by pretreatment of the cells with ionomycin (a Ca2+ ionophore) remained empty during a subsequent period of Ba2+ influx. Ca2+ uptake or release by intracellular organelles secondarily regulated exchange activity through alterations in [Ca2+]i. Exchange-mediated Ba2+ influx was inhibited when cytosolic [Ca2+] was reduced to 20 nM or less and was accelerated at cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations of 25-50 nM We conclude that (a) Ba2+ substitutes for Ca2+ as a transport substrate for the exchanger, (b) cytosolic Ba2+ does not appear to be sequestered by intracellular organelles, and (c) exchange-mediated Ba2+ influx is accelerated by low concentrations of cytosolic Ca2+.

Membrane potential of smooth muscle cells of human allantochorial placental vessels

The membrane potential of vessel endothelial and smooth muscle cells is central to their function of regulating blood flow. In the present study, the membrane potential (MP) of smooth muscle cells of human placental arteries and veins with or without endothelium is observed. MP is classically obtained using microelectrodes inserted into the smooth muscle cells, either through the endothelium or directly. MP was found to remain stable during 120–140 min and was independent of pH over a wide physiological range. Variation of external temperature induced depolarization at 20°C. Variations in external concentrations of Na + and K + did not influence MP values, while increases in Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ concentrations caused depolarization. The membranes of vascular smooth muscle cells were also depolarized by ouabain. These data suggest that endothelial cell exert a protective effect (release of constricting or relaxing factors) and that MP is regulated, in particular, by lipid-calcium interaction, opening of voltage-dependent Ca 2+-channels and by ATPase.

Endogenous D-glucose transport in oocytes of Xenopus laevis.

Endogenous glucose uptake by the oocytes of Xenopus laevis consists of two distinct components: one that is independent of extracellular Na+, and the other one that represents Na+-glucose cotransport. The latter shows similar characteristics as 2 Na+-1 glucose cotransport of epithelial cells: The similarities include the dependencies on external concentrations of Na+, glucose, and phlorizin, and on pH. As in epithelial cells, the glucose uptake in oocytes can also be stimulated by lanthanides. Both the electrogenic cotransport and the inhibition by phlorizin are voltage-dependent; the data are compatible with the assumption that the membrane potential acts as a driving force for the reaction cycle of the transport process. In particular, hyperpolarization seems to stimulate transport by recruitment of substrate binding sites to the outer membrane surface. The results described pertain to oocytes arrested in the prophase of the first meiotic division; maturation of the oocytes leads to a downregulation of both the Na+-independent and the Na+-dependent transport systems. The effect on the Na+-dependent cotransport is the consequence of a change of driving force due to membrane depolarization associated with the maturation process.

Effects of alpha-adrenergic agonists on intracellular and intramitochondrial pH in rat proximal nephrons

Rat proximal tubular segments were used to examine alpha-adrenoceptor alterations in Na+-H+ exchange by monitoring intracellular pH (pHi) and mitochondrial matrix pH (pHm). To obtain pHi, tubules were incubated with the cell-permeant fluorescent probe, 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6) carboxyfluorescein acetoxymethyl ester in a HCO3--free Na+ buffer. The intracellular distribution of the weak acid [2-14C] 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione was used to calculate pHm, using values of medium pH, pHi, cell volume, and matrix content. Several selective alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists and the endogenous mixed agonist, norepinephrine, all produced dose-related increases in pHi. With each of the agonists tested, a maximum increase in pHi was observed at 1 microM final concentrations, with peak effects occurring in less than 1 min. Pretreatment with ethylisopropyl amiloride (EIPA, 10 microM), a specific inhibitor of proximal Na+-H+ exchange, blocked receptor-stimulated increases in pHi, as well as stimulation of Na+-H+ exchange by phorbol ester (PMA, 0.1 microM). Similarly, selective alpha 1- (prazosin, 0.1 microM) and alpha 2-(idazoxan, 0.1 microM) adrenoceptor antagonists inhibited alterations in agonist-induced pHi changes, whereas PMA-stimulated increases in pHi remained unaffected. Neither alpha 1- nor alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonists produced differences in pHm. Adrenoceptor agonist-induced pHi changes were also assessed at various concentrations of external Na+ (0-135 mM). It was observed that 0 and 10 mM external Na+ concentrations significantly reduced alpha 1- and alpha 2-adrenoceptor-stimulated pHi changes; Km values for the alpha 1-agonist phenylephrine and the alpha 2-agonist B-HT 933 were 18.0 +/- 2.1 and 22.7 +/- 2.6, respectively. In summary, stimulation by alpha-adrenergic agonists may be blocked at the receptor level with specific alpha-antagonists or at the exchanger with EIPA. The increase in cellular pH induced by these agonists is sensitive to external Na+ and reflects alpha-adrenoceptor activation of the Na+-H+ exchanger.

Pharmacological differentiation of responses to dopamine, octopamine and noradrenaline recorded from a cockroach motoneurone

AbstractRecordings have been made from the soma of a cockroach common inhibitory motoneurone. Locally applied dopamine, octopamine or noradrenaline all depolarised the neurone and produced a modest increase in membrane conductance. Under voltage‐clamp, currents evoked by these amines showed considerable voltage dependence. The current‐voltage relationships for dopamine and octopamine responses were similar, but differed from that for noradrenaline. The unusual voltage‐dependent characteristics of these responses suggest that these compounds may serve a modulatory function in the insect CNS.The effects of a range of pharmacological antagonists indicate that dopamine acts upon a class of receptors distinct from those mediating responses to octopamine, noradrenaline and acetylcholine (ACh). Dopamine currents were abolished by SCH 23390 or cis‐(Z)‐flupenthixol, which did not depress responses to the other agonists. Octopamine and noradrenaline currents were selectively blocked by metoclopramide and ergometrine respectively, while β‐bungarotoxin and gallamine preferentially suppressed ACh responses.At the present time the ionic basis of dopamine responses is unclear. Dopamine‐evoked currents were totally abolished by application of Cd22+ or verapamil or when the preparation was bathed in Ca2+ free external solutions. Changes in the external concentrations of Na+, K+ or Cl−, however, also had some effect upon dopamine currents.

Amino acid transport in membrane vesicles from CHO-K1 and alanine-resistant transport mutants

Membrane vesicles were prepared from CHO-K1 and alanine-resistant transport mutants, alar4 and alar4-H3.9. Alar4 is a constitutive mutant of the A system, and alar4-H3.9, derived from alar4, may be the result of amplification of a gene coding for an A-system transporter. Under conditions in which the same membrane potential (interior negative) and Na+ gradient were employed, the mutant vesicles show increases in the A system over that of the parental CHO-K1 cell line, paralleling, but not equivalent to, that found in whole cells. L-system and 5'-nucleotidase activities of these vesicles were similar, indicating that the increased A-system activity of the mutant vesicles is not due to the differential enrichment of the A system in these vesicles. The membrane potential was produced by a K+ diffusion gradient (internal greater than external) in the presence of valinomycin or by the addition of a Na+ salt of a highly permeant anion such as SCN-. Monensin was employed to study the effect of the Na+ gradient on transport and membrane potential. The latter was determined by measuring the uptake of tetraphenylphosphonium ion. A negative membrane potential determines the concentrative ability and the initial velocity of the A system in these vesicles. The concentration of external Na+ has a stimulatory effect on the initial velocity of this system. However, the Na+ gradient (external greater than internal) has no effect on the initial velocity or the membrane potential when the potential is set by valinomycin and high internal K+. Little if any ASC system could be detected in vesicles from CHO-K1.

Intracellular pH modulates the generation of superoxide radicals by human neutrophils.

The relationship of intracellular pH (pHi) to superoxide radical (O2-) generation was investigated in chemotactic factor-stimulated human neutrophils. Exposure of cells to 100 nM N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) caused activation of Na/H exchange which, in 140 mM Na medium (pH0 7.40), led to a rise in pHi from 7.22 to 7.80. This pHi change was sensitive to amiloride (apparent Ki 78 microM), an inhibitor of Na/H countertransport. The time course of the alkalinization was similar to that of FMLP-stimulated O2- production, which was complete by 5 min. In the presence of 1 mM amiloride, which nearly blocked the pHi transient elicited by FMLP, or in the absence of external Na, where intracellular acidification was observed in FMLP-stimulated cells, O2- release was still roughly 25-45% of normal. Thus, an alkalinization cannot be an obligatory requirement for O2- generation. By independently varying either pH0, pHi, or the internal or external concentrations of Na, both the direction and magnitude of the FMLP-induced pHi transients could be altered. In each instance, the amount of O2- release correlated directly with pHi and was enhanced by intracellular alkalinization. In the absence of FMLP, a rise in pHi to 7.7-7.8 by exposure of cells to 30 mM NH4Cl, 10 microM monensin (a Na/H exchanging ionophore), or after a prepulse with 18% CO2 did not result in O2- generation. Thus, these results imply that an alkalinization per se is not a sufficient trigger. Neutrophils exposed to 4 nM FMLP exhibited a threefold slower rate of alkalinization (reaching pHi approximately 7.80 by 20-30 min) as compared to that obtained with 100 nM FMLP and did not release significant amounts of O2- under normal incubation conditions. However, these cells could be induced to generate O2- when the degree of alkalinization was enhanced by internal Na depletion or by pretreatment with 18% CO2. Together, these results indicate a modulating effect of pHi on O2- production and suggest that other functional responses of neutrophils may be regulated by their pHi.

Intracellular pH-regulating mechanism of the squid axon. Relation between the external Na+ and HCO-3 dependences.

The intracellular pH-regulating mechanism of the squid axon was examined for its dependence on the concentrations of external Na+ and HCO3-, always at an external pH (pHo) of 8.0. Axons having an initial intracellular pH (pHi) of approximately 7.4 were internally dialyzed with a solution of pH 6.5 that contained 400 mM Cl- and no Na+. After pHi had fallen to approximately 6.6, dialysis was halted, thereby returning control of pHi to the axon. With external Na+ and HCO-3 present, intracellular pH (pHi) increased because of the activity of the pHi-regulating system. The acid extrusion rate (i.e., equivalent efflux of H+, JH) is the product of the pHi recovery rate, intracellular buffering power, and the volume-to-surface ratio. The [HCO3-]o dependence of JH was examined at three fixed levels of [Na+]o: 425, 212, and 106 mM. In all three cases, the apparent Jmax was approximately 19 pmol X cm-2 X s-1. However, the apparent Km (HCO3-) was approximately inversely proportional to [Na+]o, rising from 2.6 to 5.4 to 9.7 mM as [Na+]o was lowered from 425 to 212 to 106 mM, respectively. The [Na+]o dependence of JH was similarly examined at three fixed levels of [HCO3-]o: 12, 6, and 3 mM. The Jmax values did not vary significantly from those in the first series of experiments. The apparent Km (Na+), however, was approximately inversely related to [HCO3-]o, rising from 71 to 174 to 261 mM as [HCO3-]o was lowered from 12 to 6 to 3 mM, respectively. These results agree with the predictions of the ion-pair model of acid extrusion, which has external Na+ and CO3= combining to form the ion pair NaCO3-, which then exchanges for internal Cl-. When the JH data are replotted as a function of [NaCO3-]o, data from all six groups of experiments fall along the same Michaelis-Menten curve, with an apparent Km (NaCO3-) of 80 microM. The ordered and random binding of Na+ and CO3= cannot be ruled out as possible models, but are restricted in allowable combinations of rate constants.

Linear range of Na+ pump in sciatic nerve of frog.

The Na+-activated utilization of O2 by frog sciatic nerve is a linear function of the internal concentration of Na+ in preparations deprived of external Ca2+. It is assumed that this component of O2 uptake is a measure of the active extrusion of Na+ by the Na+ pump because it is suppressed by ouabain. However, no tendency toward saturation, expected in an enzymatic process with a high affinity for Na+, was evident. Similar linearity has been reported in other neuronal preparations in experiments measuring 22Na+ efflux directly. The slope of the linear relation between Na+-activated O2 uptake and the concentration of internal Na+ is independent of the external concentration of Na+, but it decreases when the external concentration of K+ is changed from 10 to 4.8 mM.

Calcium depletion produces Na+-dependent, sustained depolarizations of Retzius cell membranes in the leech CNS

1. Ca++ free/EGTA Ringer produces an abrupt change in the Retzius cell (RZ) membrane conductance resulting in a sustained depolarization: a plateau potential. 2. The long-lasting plateau potential is a consequence of Ca++ depletion and not a specific effect of EGTA. 3. The amplitude of this increased conductance plateau depends upon the external concentration of Na+. 4. Mn++ and La+++ completely block Ca++ depletion plateaus while Sr++ and Mg++ decrease plateau duration. Co++ has effects which are intermediate between these two cation groups. 5. We suggest that RZ membranes have a repolarizing potassium conductance which depends primarily upon Ca++ conductance and not membrane potential.

Inhibition of Na pumps enhances Ca-dependent release of vasopressin from the isolated neurohypophysis of the rat.

The isolated neurohypophysis of the rat was incubated with a medium lacking Ca and vasopressin release was induced by reintroduction of Ca (2 mM). The response to Ca was greatly enhanced after treatment with a medium containing ouabain or lacking K. The enhanced release of vasopressin by ouabain was dependent on the concentration of external Na. The results suggest that inhibition of Na pumps leads to a rise in internal Na, thereby activating Na-dependent Ca influx mechanism associated with vasopressin release.

A small increment of external K concentration accelerates adrenomedullary catecholamine secretion induced by ouabain and metabolic inhibitors.

In the cat adrenal perfused with a medium containing ouabain, raising the external concentration of K to 10 mM abruptly increased the rate of catecholamine secretion. Increased response to 10 mM K were also observed in the adrenals treated with monoiodoacetate or cyanide, which was suggested to reduce the Na pumping activity indirectly. Since both the onset time and the magnitude of K-induced secretion are dependent on the concentration of external Na, it was suggested that a small increase of K concentration accelerates Ca influx in exchange for internal Na.