On the luminal membrane permeability to Cl- of necturus gastric surface cells

The surface cells (SEC) luminal membrane conductance to Cl- was tested on the resting Necturus gastric mucosa by applying conventional and Cl--sensitive microelectrodes under luminal low-Cl- conditions. Reduction of chloride (2 mmol/1) in the luminal bath did not result in any detectable reduction of intracellular Cl-. Therefore, in analogy to previous findings on the frog SEC, also the luminal membrane of the Necturus surface cells appears to have a negligible conductance to Cl-. The data speak against a relevant role of the amphibian SEC in the non-acidic Cl- secretion.