Mechanism of active potassium absorption and secretion in the rat colon

To characterize and contrast the active potassium absorptive and secretory processes present in the rat colon, unidirectional 42K fluxes were performed under short-circuit conditions across isolated distal (D) and proximal (P) colonic mucosa of control rats and animals with hyperaldosteronism due to sodium depletion (aldosterone group). In the control D colon there was net potassium absorption (+0.51 +/- 0.07 mueq X h-1 X cm-2). The absorptive process appears electroneutral because net potassium flux ( JK net ) was unchanged in sodium-free Ringer solution (+0.76 +/- 0.12 mueq X h-1 X cm-2), whereas short-circuit current (Isc) was reduced to zero, and in chloride-free Ringer solution. In P colon of controls, net potassium secretion was -0.19 +/- 0.02 mueq X h-1 X cm-2 and was abolished by removal of sodium but not by removal of chloride. In both P and D colon aldosterone produced active potassium secretion (-0.39 +/- 0.06 mueq X h-1 X cm-2, P less than 0.001, and -0.90 +/- 0.07 mueq X h-1 X cm-2, P less than 0.001, respectively) that was sodium and chloride dependent. Although mucosal amiloride in D colon of aldosterone animals reduced net sodium flux to zero and reversed Isc from 4.1 +/- 0.6 to -1.1 +/- 0.1 mueq X h-1 X cm-2, net potassium secretion was not affected. Thus, in the presence of amiloride, Isc is accounted for by JK net (-0.93 +/- 0.12 mueq X h-1 X cm-2). These data indicate that 1) the active potassium absorptive process is electroneutral and could be explained by a potassium-proton exchange, and 2) the potassium secretory process is stimulated by aldosterone, is not inhibited by amiloride, and probably is electrogenic.