Characterization of an apical sodium conductance in rabbit cecum

Rabbit cecum in vitro exhibits electrogenic Na+ absorption not blocked by amiloride but inhibited by the amiloride analogue phenamil, suggesting transport mediated by modified Na+ channels in the apical membrane. To further characterize the mechanism(s) of Na+ absorption, microelectrode impalements of single epithelial cells were performed to measure intracellular potential difference (psi mc) and fractional resistance of the apical membrane, to characterize ionic conductances of the apical and basolateral membranes, and to determine the response to phenamil. The electrical potential profile of cecum (psi mc = -31 +/- 2 mV, fractional resistance = 0.71 +/- 0.03) was qualitatively similar to distal colon. The apical membrane exhibited responses suggesting both Na+ and K+ conductances, whereas the basolateral membrane appeared to have a predominant K+ conductance. Phenamil elicited a depolarization of psi mc and a decrease in fractional resistance; neither response is consistent with inhibition of an apical Na+ conductance. Studies were performed in apical membrane vesicles to characterize ionic conductances by a second independent methodology. These additional studies confirmed the presence of an apical Na+ conductance not inhibited by either amiloride or phenamil. Thus both microelectrode impalement and vesicle studies demonstrated an apical membrane Na+ conductance in rabbit cecum; this is the likely mechanism of electrogenic Na+ absorption in this epithelium. However, the anomalous response to phenamil suggests that the inhibitory effect of this agent is not directly on the conductance. The cecal transporter may be one of a family of cation channels related to, but significantly different from, the classic Na+ channel found in distal colon and other tight epithelia.