ION TRANSPORT IN THE INTESTINE OF ANGUILLA ANGUILLA: GRADIENTS AND TRANSLOCATORS

The transport of Na+, K+ and Cl- across the isolated epithelium of the eel intestine was studied using a combination of four experimental strategies: short-circuiting, measurements of intracellular potentials and ion concentrations, application of a variety of transport inhibitors and measurement of unidirectional fluxes with radioactive tracers. When short-circuited, the system performs a net transport of Cl- and Na+ towards the blood side, with a stoichiometry approaching 2, and a much smaller net transport of K+ towards the lumen. The system is totally driven by the sodium pump located in the basolateral barrier and the main coupling between the fluxes of the three ions is through the operation of a furosemide-sensitive transporter in the apical barrier, probably a 2Cl-/Na+/K+ symporter. The inhibitory effect of DIDS and picrylsulphonic acid on the short-circuit current, when added to the serosal side, suggests the presence of a sodium-dependent anionic shuttle located in the basolateral membrane. The short-circuit current is inhibited by H25, a non-specific inhibitor of the K+/Cl- symport, added to the serosal side. This effect occurs after a delay of at least 5 min and may result from the diffusion of the drug to the apical barrier, where it blocks the 2Cl-/Na+/K+ symport with much higher affinity.