The effects of high-nutrient urea on in vitro bullfrog fundic mucosa

The effects of nutrient urea (240 mM) on H+ secretion, potential difference, and resistance were studied in isolated sheets of bullfrog fundic mucosa. H+ secretion was significantly reduced while transmucosal resistance was significantly increased and potential difference was significantly decreased. Measurement of CO2 utilization by, and distribution across, the mucosal sheets demonstrated that oxidative metabolism is increased (tCO2, 4.93 +/- 0.2 to 5.83 +/- 0.3 mumole/cm2 hr-1, P less than 0.05) and that generation of protons (H+) within the oxyntic cell is stimulated (delta CO2, 1.48 +/- 0.1 to 2.22 +/- 0.2 mumole/cm2 hr-1, P less than 0.05, and nutrient HCO-3 1.35 +/- 0.2 to 2.21 +/- 0.2 mueq/cm2 hr-1, P less than 0.05) in spite of paradoxically diminished H+ appearance on the secretory surface. Studies using 120 and 60 mM urea suggest that the effects may be dose dependent. Results with 240 mM sucrose on the nutrient surface would indicate that those seen with urea cannot be attributed entirely to the hyperosmolality. Pretreatment of the mucosal sheets with metiamide (10(-3) M) resulted in the expected decrease in titratable H+ (to 0) but had no effect on urea-stimulated oxidative metabolism (tCO2, 2.09 +/- 0.2 to 2.91 +/- 0.4 mumole/cm2 hr-1, P less than 0.02) or the generation of protons by the oxyntic cell (delta CO2, 0.68 +/- 0.1 to 1.35 +/- 0.3 mumole/cm2 hr-1, P less than 0.02, and nutrient HCO3- 0.83 +/- 0.1 to 1.65 +/- 0.3 mueq/cm2 hr-1, P less than 0.05). Both simultaneous or subsequent treatment with theophylline (5 X 10(-3) M) reversed the inhibitory effect of urea on H+ secretion. Transmission electron microscopy revealed involution of the secretory membrane following treatment with urea but maintenance of the microvillous secreting configuration of the membrane when theophylline was added to the nutrient solution. These results suggest that although nutrient urea stimulates the generation of H+ within the cell it simultaneously inhibits release of H+ by the secretory membrane. Failure to inhibit urea-stimulated generation of H+ within the cell by metiamide indicates that the increased oxidative metabolism and generation of protons stimulated by nutrient urea is probably not histamine-mediated. It is suggested that urea inhibits adenylyl cyclase and thus cAMP-mediated evolution of the secretory membrane with reduced H+ transport, an effect that can be reversed by inhibiting phosphodiesterase with theophylline.