Electroneutral secretion of bicarbonate by guinea pig gallbladder epithelium

Transepithelial HCO3- movement in guinea pig gallbladder was investigated in vitro. Absorptive (JHCO3ms) and secretory (JHCO3sm) HCO3- fluxes, determined by use of the pH-stat method were approximately 1.0 and 2.1 mumol X cm-2 X h-1, respectively. The resultant net secretion equaled in magnitude, and balanced electrically, the excess in net absorption of Cl- over that of Na+ X JHCO3sm was dependent on luminal Cl- and serosal Na+; it was inhibited by mucosal 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS; 10(-3) M) and serosal ouabain (3 X 10(-5) M) but not by serosal amiloride (10(-3) M) and scarcely by bilateral methazolamide (10(-4) M). JHCO3ms was reduced by mucosal Cl- but enhanced by serosal Cl-; it was dependent on mucosal Na+ and inhibited by mucosal amiloride and bilateral methazolamide. Our findings are consistent with a model in which 1) serosal HCO3- enters the cell in cotransport with Na+ and is then extruded into the lumen by Cl-(-)HCO3- exchange at the apical membrane; 2) mucosal HCO3- enters the cell secondary to apical membrane Na+-H+ exchange and recycles into the lumen via Cl-(-)HCO3- exchange or is, to a lesser extent, absorbed across the basolateral membrane.