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Abstract

Following the technical approach described in the preceding publication we have investigated if, and how, stimulation of gastric HCl secretion affects the basolateral ion transport properties of oxyntopeptic cells of Rana catesbeiana stomach. To this end microdissected gastric glands were punctured with conventional or H⁺-sensitive glass microelectrodes and the effects of changing bath ion concentrations on the cell membrane potential (V_b) and cell pH (pH_i) were determined. Except for a transient alkalinization, histamine (0.5 mmol/l) did not significantly affect V_b or pH_i. The latter averaged 7.18±0.03 (mean±SEM, n=5) under resting conditions (0.1 mmol/l cimetidine) and 7.21±0.07 (n=5) in the presence of histamine. In addition, neither the initial velocity nor the final steady-state value of the cell alkalinization following a 10∶1 reduction of bath Cl⁻ concentration changed in the presence of histamine, and the same holds true for the cell acidification following a 10∶1 reduction of bath HCO₃⁻ concentration. These observations indicate that the basolateral Cl⁻/HCO₃⁻ exchanger was not stimulated by histamine, and that no other base transporters were activated. By contrast, the V_b response to elevation of bath K⁺ concentration decreased, and so did the initial depolarizing V_b response to bath Cl⁻ substitution, while the secondary hyperpolarizing response increased. The latter observations are compatible with the notion that stimulation by histamine reduced a pH-insensitive part of the basolateral K⁺ conductance and reduced also the basolateral Cl⁻ conductance.