Stimulation of electrolyte secretion in rabbit colon by adenosine

Serosal addition of adenosine after inhibition of adenosine deaminase with deoxycoformycin increases short-circuit current (Isc) and tissue conductance of isolated epithelia of rabbit descending colon. In the presence of Cl this increase in Isc results from a reversal of electrically neutral Cl absorption to rheogenic Cl secretion. When Cl is absent the stimulating effect of adenosine on Isc is reduced to one-third and appears to be brought about by HCO3 secretion. Under all conditions active Na transport remains unaltered. Adenosine-induced electrolyte secretion is markedly decreased by serosal addition of furosemide and depends on the presence of Na on the serosal side of the tissue. The stoichiometry of the interaction of Na and Cl with the basolateral Cl entry mechanism appears to be 1:1. Under Na-free conditions adenosine elicits a current transient which is carried by Cl ions and which is not inhibited by furosemide. Hence this current transient seems to be brought about by rheogenic apical Cl efflux. All these findings suggest that the conductive step in transepithelial Cl secretion resides in the apical membrane. Hyperpolarization of the Na-transporting cells by luminal addition of amiloride does not enhance electrolyte secretion. The site of action of adenosine is the extracellular surface of the basolateral membrane, because (a) luminal addition of adenosine is ineffective, (b) nitrobenzylmercaptopurineriboside, a blocker of cellular nucleoside uptake, augments the effect of serosal adenosine, and (c) the intracellular metabolites of adenosine do not mediate the effect. From the rank-order of potency of adenosine and its analogues 5'-N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine and N6-cyclohexyladenosine it is concluded that the adenosine receptors involved in electrolyte secretion are of the Ra subtype. Theophylline partially inhibits the secretory effect. The intracellular mediator of adenosine appears to be cyclic AMP and/or cyclic GMP, since the tissue levels of both compounds are rapidly elevated after addition of adenosine and both cyclic AMP and cyclic 8-bromo-GMP are able to mimic the adenosine action.