Sodium-bicarbonate cotransport in guinea pig ileal crypt cells

Prior studies show that ileal HCO3- secretion is of crypt origin, possibly involving Na+-HCO3- cotransport. To test for the latter, we isolated crypt cells from guinea pig ileum and determined effects of medium HCO3-, Na+, K+, disulfonic stilbenes, and gramicidin on intracellular pH [pHi;2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein fluorescence], cell volume (electronic sizing), and Na+ efflux from 22Na+ -preloaded cells. Ileal crypt cells alkalinized when placed in sodium gluconate-HCO3- medium containing N-5-methyl-5-isobutyl amiloride (1 microM), bumetanide (10 microM) and 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (250 microM which blocks Cl-/HCO3- exchange but not Na+ dependent HCO3- uptake). Depolarization with either gramicidin (50 microM) or 50 mM K+ caused a further 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS)-inhibitable increase in pHi. Gramicidin also caused SITS-inhibitable cell swelling. Both gramicidin effects were Na+ dependent: at 0 mM Na+, gramicidin acidified and did not alter cell volume; at 25 mM, gramicidin also acidified; at 90 and 140 mM, gramicidin alkalinized and induced cell swelling. HCO3- -dependent SITS-inhibitable Na+ efflux from 22Na+ -preloaded cells was also seen. We conclude that ileal crypt cells engage in electrogenic Na+ -HCO3- symport.