Characterization of dogfish gastric mucosa under hyperbaric conditions

Using hyperbaric conditions previously shown to give improved oxygen delivery to the chambered dogfish gastric mucosa, experiments were performed to further characterize this tissue under these conditions. Removal of Cl- depressed but did not abolish acid secretion, raised the transepithelial resistance, and caused the potential to become more negative with reference to the mucosal surface. Voltage clamping to -60 mV inhibited secretion significantly; voltage clamping to +60 mV sometimes gave a stimulation. There was no long time-constant transient response to current passage. Under hyperbaric conditions, addition of the normal 350 mM urea content of elasmobranch plasma stimulated secretion. A further increase in partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) above 1.9 atm had no effect on secretion. The current-voltage plot showed two breakpoints, one about -23 mV and a second (not always detectable) at +50 mV; the negative breakpoint was stable as PO2 changed from 0.9 to 1.9 atm. Many of these observations are different from those reported for normabaric tissue and closely resemble those in the isolated frog gastric mucosa.