Ion and water balance in the epithelium of the abdominal skin of the frogLeptodactylus ocellatus

Summary Epithelia from the abdominal skin of the South American frogLeptodactylus ocellatus were isolated by a method consisting of trypsination and dissection. When mounted between two chambers containing Ringer's solution they show electrical properties similar to those found in whole skin. Oxygen consumption was measured. The effects of amiloride, ouabain and low temperature are studied. An analysis of the ionic distribution in the epithelium is performed. The study demonstrates that, regardless of other effects that trypsin could introduce, it constitutes a valuable tool to analyze the basic mechanisms of transepithelial transport at epithelia, cellular and subcellular levels.