Bicarbonate secretion modulates ammonium absorption in rat distal colon in vivo

Although the mammalian colon is thought to absorb large quantities of total ammonia, principally in the form of NH3, quantitative support for this hypothesis is lacking. In rat distal colon, we observed that NH3 was approximately 400 times more permeant than NH+4. In addition, colonic HCO-3 secretion influenced total ammonia (NH3 plus NH+4) absorption; that is, alteration of HCO-3 secretion caused a parallel change in total ammonia absorption. Perfusion with total ammonia also caused net HCO-3 secretion to switch to net absorption, and, in the setting of preexisting HCO-3 absorption, perfusate containing total ammonia enhanced HCO-3 absorption. These events suggest that colonic HCO-3 secretion titrates luminal NH+4 to NH3, permitting NH3 to diffuse from the lumen, while HCO-3 is titrated to carbon dioxide and also diffuses from the lumen. In support of titration of NH+4 and HCO-3, the magnitude of induced HCO-3 absorption approximated total ammonia absorption. This titration relationship suggests that, in kinetic studies, total ammonia absorption will be limited by a fixed rate of HCO-3 secretion. A model was developed that simulated these events.