Relationship between HCO3- transport and oxidative metabolism in rabbit proximal tubule

HCO3-/CO2 can affect proximal tubule energy metabolism directly by serving as a substrate for metabolic reactions and indirectly through ATP utilization by HCO3(-)-coupled Na+ reabsorption and proton secretion. In this study, metabolic and transport roles of HCO3-/CO2 were examined by measuring the effects of HCO3-/CO2 removal and transport inhibitors on oxygen consumption (QO2) in suspensions of rabbit proximal tubules. Removal of medium HCO3-/CO2 inhibited ouabain-sensitive, ouabain-insensitive, and uncoupled QO2. Consistent with metabolic inhibition, the absence of HCO3-/CO2 also reduced tubule ATP content and stimulated lactate production. Analysis of the dependence of mitochondrial state 3 respiration on HCO3-/CO2 in digitonin-permeabilized tubules traced the metabolic inhibition to limitations in tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediate supply. Energy requirements for HCO3- transport were examined by measuring QO2 in response to acetazolamide, 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) and 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS), and the H(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (H(+)-ATPase) inhibitor bafilomycin A. Acetazolamide had no effect on QO2, whereas DIDS-SITS and bafilomycin A reduced ouabain-insensitive QO2, consistent with inhibition of active proton secretion. DIDS-SITS did not affect ouabain-sensitive respiration, suggesting that HCO3(-)-dependent Na+ reabsorption may not be mediated through the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in this preparation.