Adrenergic agents stimulate and cholinergic agents inhibit H+ secretion by amphibian jejunum

In vitro segments of Amphiuma jejunum secrete H+ spontaneously. This study explored the effect of cholinergic and adrenergic agents on H+ secretion. Segments of mucosa were short-circuited and exposed on their mucosal surface to HCO3- -buffered medium while the pH of the unbuffered serosal medium was held by the pH-stat technique. Methacholine added to the serosal medium nearly abolished the spontaneous short-circuit current (Isc) and serosal alkalinization (JHCO3-) with an EC50 of 3.7 X 10(-7) M. Subsequent addition of norepinephrine (NE) to the serosal medium caused a dose-dependent increase in Isc and JHCO3. For three catecholamines the order of potency was epinephrine greater than NE greater than isoproterenol. The spontaneous Isc was significantly reduced (P less than 0.05) by the gastric H+-K+-ATPase inhibitor omeprazole, while the NE-induced Isc was unaltered by the inhibitor. Replacement of medium Na+ with choline abolished the response to NE. The NE-induced Isc was also reduced by methacholine. Acetazolamide inhibited the spontaneous and NE-induced Isc and JHCO3. In summary, cholinergic and adrenergic agents have opposing effects on intestinal H+-HCO3- transport. Jejunal acid secretion may be controlled in part by these antagonistic influences. Adrenergically activated acid secretion occurs by a different mechanism than spontaneous acid secretion.