Effects of pH on phosphate transport by flounder renal tubule primary cultures

Transepithelial phosphate (Pi) fluxes were determined in primary monolayer cultures of the winter flounder proximal tubule in Ussing chambers. Net Pi secretion, peritubular (P)-to-lumen (L) net flux (Jnet = 17.0 +/- 3.77 nmol.cm-2.h-1), was strongly stimulated by lowering peritubular pH to 6.5 (pHP 6.5 vs. pHL 7.5) compared with control tissues at pH 7.5 (pHP 7.5 vs. pHL 7.5) where net reabsorption (L-to-P Jnet = 1.10 +/- 0.36 nmol.cm-2.h-1) occurred. The stimulation of net secretion by pHP 6.5 was inhibited to 27% of control by 200 microM amiloride. The imposition of a reversed pH gradient (pHL 6.5 vs. pHP 7.5) did not stimulate Pi secretion. Preincubation with 0.5 U/ml phospholipase C caused a nearly fivefold stimulation of Pi secretion compared with the untreated controls. H-7 (100 microM), a protein kinase inhibitor, caused a 2.5-fold reduction in phorbol ester (PE)-induced stimulation of Pi secretion. H-7 also significantly inhibited Pi secretion (50% reduction) when peritubular pH was lowered to 6.5. PE-induced net Pi secretion was significantly lower when luminal pH was lowered to 5.5 compared with controls where luminal pH was kept at 7.5. Amiloride (200 microM) significantly inhibited the PE-induced net Pi secretion in the presence of luminal pH 7.5 but had no significant effect at luminal pH 5.5. Replacement of luminal NaCl with LiCl or isosmolar mannitol significantly reduced net phosphate secretion under the conditions of lowered peritubular pH. Net Pi secretion was also dependent on the maintenance of a cellular Na+ gradient, since 100 microM ouabain inhibited PE-induced net Pi secretion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)