PGE2 exerts dose-dependent opposite effects on net water and chloride absorption from the rat colon

This work investigated the effect of different doses of PGE2 on net water and Cl- absorption from the rat colon, using an in situ perfusion technique. PGE2 exerted opposite effects at different concentrations. Net water and Cl- absorption was significantly reduced at low doses with a minimum at 0.4 microg/100g BW, and significantly elevated at high doses with an observed maximal effect at 21 microg/100g BW. At low doses, PGE2 increased in superficial cells, the activity of the Na+-K+ ATPase and the protein expression of the Na+K+2Cl- cotransporter, but reduced them in crypt cells. Thus, the reduction in net water and Cl- absorption was ascribed to an increase in secretion by surface cells that masked absorptive processes. At high doses, PGE2 increased significantly the activity of the Na+-K+ ATPase in superficial cells only, and was without any effect on the protein expression of the cotransporter and the pump in both surface and crypt cells. The observed increase in net water and Cl- absorption was attributed in this case to an increase in absorptive processes with no effect on secretion.