Abstract

Isolated guinea pig distal colons secreted acid into the mucosal bathing solution at a rate of 1.0-1.5 mumol X cm-2 X h-1 when the preparations were mounted in Ussing chambers and bathed with HCO3(-)-CO2-free solution. The rates of the acidification and alkalinization of the solutions were measured by a pH stat system or calculated from changes in the pH of the solution. The acid secretion was localized in the middle and distal parts of the colon but absent in the proximal part of the colon and the cecum. The mucosal acidification was accompanied by serosal alkalinization, the rate of the latter being approximately 60% of the former. A carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, methazolamide (10(-4) M), reduced both the mucosal acidification and serosal alkalinization rates by a similar magnitude. The mucosal acidification was completely abolished by mucosal K+-free conditions but unaffected by mucosal Na+-free conditions. Ouabain added to the mucosal solution promptly inhibited the acid secretion. Dose dependency of the inhibition conformed to the Michaelis-Menten equation with a half-maximal effect at 4 X 10(-6) M. When the pH of the mucosal solution was reduced to 4.3, the rate of the mucosal acidification remained essentially the same as that at pH = 7.4. Vanadate (10(-4) M) added to both the mucosal and serosal solutions significantly reduced the mucosal acidification rate. These results suggest that CO2 derived from the epithelial metabolism is hydrated by carbonic anhydrase in the cell and released H+ enters the mucosal solution while HCO3- enters the serosal solution. H+ exit across the mucosal membrane may be mediated by H+-ATPase that is sensitive to ouabain.