Urea transport in toad skin (Bufo marinus)

Urea is transported from mucosa to serosa across the skin of the stenohaline toad, Bufo marinus, studied under short circuit current (SCC) conditions. Mucosal to serosal transepithelial urea transport (Jm-->s(urea)) was markedly and asymmetrically enhanced in toads adapted to hypertonic (150 mM) NaCl and showed saturation kinetics with an estimated Kd for urea in the bathing solution of approximately 1 mM and a maximal rate of Jm-->s(urea) = 9.4 nmol.cm-2 x hr-1, consistent with a carrier-mediated transport mechanism. Jm-->s(urea) in the skin of 150 mM NaCl-adapted toads was characterized with drugs known to affect transepithelial urea transport (J(urea)) in the urinary bladder of this species. Amiloride (10(-8)-10(-3) M) inhibited Jm-->s(urea) in a dose-dependent fashion, but with a potency only 1/1000th of that for inhibition of SCC in the same skins. Phloretin (< or = 5 x 10(-4) M) had no effect on Jm-->s(urea) or SCC; ouabain (5 x 10(-4) M) and NaCN (10(-3) M) had no effect on Jm-->s(urea) but inhibited SCC (indicating inhibition of active sodium transport) by 70 and 67%, respectively and vasopressin (10(-8) M) had no effect on Jm-->s(urea), but stimulated SCC 179% above base line. The pyrazinoyl amiloride analog, 2-pyrazinoylguanidine (10(-4) M), reported to inhibit urea transport in mammals, also had no effect on Jm-->s(urea), but inhibited SCC approximately 30%. A 1.5 unit pH gradient (m-->s or s-->m) had no effect on Jm-->s(urea).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)