Apical and basolateral Na+/H+ exchange in the rabbit outer medullary thin descending limb of henle: Role in intracellular pH regulation

Summary The present study was designed to investigate the apical and basolateral transport processes responsible for intracellular pH regulation in the thin descending limb of Henle. Rabbit thin descending limbs of long-loop nephrons were perfused in vitro and intracellular pH (pH _i ) was measured using BCECF. Steady-state pH _i in HEPES buffered solutions (pH 7.4) was 7.18±0.03. Following the removal of luminal Na⁺, pH _i decreased at a rate of 1.96±0.37 pH/min. In the presence of luminal amiloride (1mm), the rate of decrease of pH _i was significantly less, 0.73±0.18 pH/min. Steady-state pH _i decreased 0.18 pH units following the addition of amiloride (1mm) to the lumen (Na⁺ 140mm lumen and bath). When Na⁺ was removed from the basolateral side of the tubule, pH _i decreased at a rate of 0.49±0.05 pH/min. The rate of decrease of pH _i was significantly less in the presence of 1mm basolateral amiloride, 0.29±0.04 pH/min. Addition of 1mm amiloride to the basolateral side (Na⁺ 140mm lumen and bath) caused steady-state pH _i to decrease significantly by 0.06 pH units. When pH _i was acutely decreased to 5.87±0.02 following NH₄Cl removal (lumen, bath), pH _i failed to recover in the absence of Na⁺ (lumen, bath). Addition of 140mm Na⁺ to the lumen caused pH _i to recover at a rate of 2.17±0.59 pH/min. The rate of pH _i recovery was inhibited 93% by 1mm luminal amiloride. When 140mm Na⁺ was added to the basolateral side, pH _i recovered only partially at 0.38±0.07 pH/min. Addition of 1mm basolateral amiloride inhibited the recovery of pH _i , by 97%. The results demonstrate that the rabbit thin descending limb of long-loop nephrons possesses apical and basolateral Na⁺/N⁺ antiporters. In the steady state, the rate of Na⁺-dependent H⁺ flux across the apical antiporter exceeds the rate of Na⁺-dependent H⁺ flux via the basolateral antiporter. Recovery of pH _i following acute intracellular acidification is Na⁺ dependent and mediated primarily by the luminal antiporter.