H(+)-K(+)-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase II gene expression in the developing rat fundus

H(+)-K(+)-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) are two enzymes that are involved in the production and secretion of the hydrogen ion by the gastric parietal cell and maintenance of intracellular pH therein. The present studies were undertaken to examine whether H(+)-K(+)-ATPase and CA II expression change in the rat fundus in association with the development of acid secretory capacity. Changes in enzyme mRNA content in the gastric fundus of developing rat pups 1-6 wk of age were evaluated using dot blots and ribonuclease protection assays. In additional studies the localization of H(+)-K(+)-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase II mRNA was examined by in situ hybridization in Formalin-fixed gastric tissues from rats 1, 3, 6, and 8 wk of age. We observed that H(+)-K(+)-ATPase mRNA content increased with age in the developing rat fundus while CA II mRNA exhibited a reciprocal decrease. These changes in enzyme mRNA were accompanied by concomitant changes in the regional distribution of the cells expressing the genes for the two enzymes. Although the changes in H(+)-K(+)-ATPase mRNA paralleled the development of acid secretory capacity, CA II mRNA levels might be regulated by the requirement for maintenance of intracellular pH during periods of cellular proliferation and by exposure of the gastric surface epithelium to the highly acidic luminal environment of the stomach.