Cl−HCO3 exchange in rat renal basolateral membrane vesicles

Pathways for HCO₃⁻ transport across the basolateral membrane were investigated using membrane vesicles isolated from rat renal cortex. The presence of Cl⁻---HCO₃⁻ exchange was assessed directly by ³⁶Cl⁻ tracer flux measurements and indirectly by determinants of acridine orange absorbance changes. Under 10% CO₂/90% N₂ the imposition of an outwardly directed HCO₃⁻ concentration gradient (pH_o 6/pH_i 7.5) stimulated Cl⁻ uptake compared to Cl⁻ uptake under 100% N₂ in the presence of a pH gradient alone. Mediated exchange of Cl⁻ for HCO₃ was suggested by the HCO₃⁻ gradient-induced concentrative accumulation of intravesicular Cl⁻. Maneuvers designed to offset the development of ion-gradient-induced diffusion potentials had no significant effect on the magnitude of HCO₃⁻ gradient-driven Cl⁻ uptake further suggesting chemical as opposed to electrical Cl−HCO₃⁻ exchange coupling. Although basolateral membrane vesicle Cl⁻ uptake was observed to be voltage sensitive, the DIDS insensitivity of the Cl conductive pathway served to distinguish this mode of Cl⁻ translocation from HCO₃ gradient-driven Cl⁻ uptake. No evidence for cotransport was obtained. As determined by acridine orange absorbance measurements in the presence of an imposed pH gradient (pH_o 7.5/pH_i 6), a HCO₃⁻ dependent increase in the rate of intravesicular alkalinization was observed in response to an outwardly directed Cl⁻ concentration gradient. The basolateral membrane vesicle origin of the observed Cl⁻−HCO₃⁻ exchange activity was verified by experiments performed with purified brush-border membrane vesicles. In contrast to our previous observations of the effect of Cl⁻ on HCO₃⁻ gradient-driven Na⁺ uptake suggesting a basolateral membrane Na⁺−HCO₃⁻ for Cl⁻ exchange mechanism, no effect of Na⁺ on Cl−HCO₃⁻ exchange was observed in the present study.