Acidification adaptation in cultured inner medullary collecting duct cells

Chronic acid feeding stimulates the rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) to increase acid secretion in vivo (acidification adaptation), but the mechanism for this phenomenon is unknown. Our purpose was to determine whether IMCD cells undergo adaptation in vitro and to explore the mechanism of this response. Confluent cultured rat IMCD cells were exposed to incubation media supplemented with 10(-7) M deoxycorticosterone acetate, pH 7.0 [acid incubated (AI)] or 7.7 [control (C)], for 48 h, and cell pH (pHi) was determined using 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein. Resting pHi was 7.46 +/- 0.05 for AI and 7.25 +/- 0.04 for C (P < 0.05). N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive pHi recovery after an acute acid pulse was 0.030 +/- 0.002 for AI and 0.020 +/- 0.002 pH U/min for C (P < 0.05). However, when AI and C cells were incubated with 7 x 10(-6) M cycloheximide, the increment in pHi and enhanced proton pump activity was abolished. In addition, exocytic function, as measured by Lucifer yellow release, was increased significantly in AI cells. In summary, incubation of IMCD cells in acid medium stimulates acidification adaptation by a mechanism dependent on new protein synthesis.