Effect of bafilomycin on proximal bicarbonate absorption in the rat

To evaluate the relative importance of the V-type H(+)-ATPase in proximal bicarbonate reabsorption in vivo, proximal tubules of male and female Wistar rats (180 to 260 g) were perfused with bicarbonate-Ringer solution with and without the addition of 2 microM bafilomycin A1. Bafilomycin significantly increased stationary pH from 6.75 +/- 0.05 (N = 39) to 6.86 +/- 0.03 (N = 82), the stationary concentration of bicarbonate from 5.24 +/- 0.62 to 6.33 +/- 0.46 mM and the half-time of acidification from 3.72 +/- 0.22 to 4.65 +/- 0.25 s, and significantly decreased net bicarbonate reabsorption from 3.17 +/- 0.21 to 2.55 +/- 0.15 nmol s-1 cm-2, that is, by 20%. Since bafilomycin is considered to be a specific inhibitor for V-type H(+)-ATPase, these data establish 1) the existence of this type of transport in the rat proximal tubule and 2) that approximately a fifth of the total proximal bicarbonate reabsorption is due to this mechanism of transport.