Histamine-induced chloride channels in apical membrane of isolated rabbit parietal cells

The electrical properties of the apical membrane of isolated rabbit parietal cells were studied using the patch-clamp technique. The apical membrane of the parietal cells plated on Matrigel and maintained in culture conditions was identified by lectin-binding studies. Cell-attached and excised inside-out patches from 10(-4) M cimetidine-treated parietal cells infrequently contained Cl- channels (9% of the patches). A single class of voltage-dependent outwardly rectifying Cl- channels with 24 +/- 1-pS conductance was observed in 75% of the patches from cells stimulated (acid secreting) by 10(-4) M histamine. Other anions passed through these channels with a permeability sequence of I- (1.2) greater than Br- (1.1) greater than or equal to Cl- (1.0) greater than NO3- (0.7) greater than SO4(2-) (0.1), but there was a very low permeability for Na+ or K+ (PCl-/PNa+ or PCl-/PK+ greater than 5). In inside-out patch configurations the Cl- channel was insensitive to Ba2+ and stilbene derivatives but was inhibited by diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid in a manner characteristic of a reversible open-channel blocker. It is concluded that H2-receptor agonist stimulation of acid secretion by rabbit parietal cells activates Cl- channels in the apical cell membrane.