Intracellular modulation of acid secretion in rat inner medullary collecting duct cells

In this study we defined some of the important elements in the acidification process of rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells in culture. After cell acidification, i.e., cell pH (pHi) = 6.51 +/- 0.02, pHi increased 0.046 +/- 0.003 units/min. N-ethylmaleimide, N,N'-cyclohexylcarbodiimide, and bafilomycin reduced this rate by over 85%. In contrast, omeprazole and Sch-28080 had no effect. 1,2-Bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N,N'-tetraacetic acid, which prevents a rise in cell Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) reduced the rate of pHi recovery to 0.013 +/- 0.002 units/min. Calmodulin inhibitors or disruption of cytoskeletal elements with cytochalasin B and colchicine also reduced pHi recovery significantly. In addition, these cells contain acidic vesicles and undergo pHi-regulated endocytosis and exocytosis, which are inhibited by disrupting the cytoskeleton. We conclude that, in our cultured line of rat IMCD cells, proton secretion is mediated by an H(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase. Changes in pHi produce alterations in acid secretion through a signal cascade that requires changes in [Ca2+]i, activation of calmodulin, an intact cytoskeleton, and alteration in the rate of exocytosis and endocytosis.