Effects of pH on apical calcium entry and active calcium transport in rabbit cortical collecting system

Rabbit connecting tubules and cortical collecting ducts were isolated by immunodissection and cultured on permeable supports. The monolayers actively transported Ca2+ with a net transcellular rate of 92 +/- 3 nmol.h-1.cm-2. Methoxyverapamil, felodipine, diltiazem, omega-conotoxin GVIA, and omega-agatoxin IVA when added to the apical side had no effect on Ca2+ absorption. Neither hyperpolarization nor depolarization of the apical membrane affected Ca2+ transport rates significantly. Stepwise lowering of the apical pH (pHa) from 8.0 to 5.6 gradually inhibited Ca2+ transport from 88 +/- 5 to 7 +/- 2 nmol.h-1.cm-2. Measuring the intracellular pH (pHi) with 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein revealed that lowering the pHa from 8.0 to 5.6 decreased pHi from 7.8 to 6.7. To determine whether inhibition of Ca2+ absorption results from intracellular acidification, pHi was lowered using an NH4Cl pulse while extracellular pH was kept constant. Intracellular acidification from 7.4 +/- 0.2 to 6.9 +/- 0.1 reduced Ca2+ absorption by 26 +/- 6% only. In addition, lowering of the basolateral pH to 6.2 resulted in a pHi of 6.8 +/- 0.1, without affecting Ca2+ absorption rates. In conclusion, the basal Ca2+ influx mechanism in the apical membrane is most likely a voltage-independent Ca2+ transporter, insensitive to Ca2+ channel blockers, but strongly inhibited by apical acidification.