BACKGROUND The epithelium lining the epididymis provides an optimal acidic fluid microenvironment in the epididymal tract that enable spermatozoa to complete the maturation process. The present study aims to investigate the functional role of Na(+)/HCO(3)(-) cotransporter in the pH regulation in rat epididymis. METHOD/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Immunofluorescence staining of pan cytokeratin in the pr...

We have previously shown that the effect of glucose on electrical activity (EA) in islet B-cells is altered by modification of pH. The regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) in nerve and muscle cells is coupled to anion exchange. In the present study we have examined the involvement of HCO3:Cl exchange across the plasma membrane in the maintenance of glucose-induced EA in B-cells. 4,4'-diisothioc...

We examined the voltage-dependent block of Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels by anthacene-9-carboxylic acid (A9C), diphenylamine-2-carboxylic acid (DPC), 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), and niflumic acid (NFA) in excised inside-out and outside-out patches from Xenopus oocytes. The fraction of the voltage field (delta) experienced by the blocking drug was determined from t...

Extracellular ATP (1 mM) inhibited the growth of Friend virus-infected murine erythroleukemia cells (MEL cells) but had no effect on dimethyl sulfoxide-induced differentiation. ATP (1 mM) also caused changes in the permeability of MEL cells to ions. There was an increased influx of 45Ca2+ from a basal level of 5 pmol/min to 18 pmol/min/10(6) cells to achieve a 2-fold increase in steady-state Ca...

The mechanism by which lead (Pb) enters astrocytes was examined in a rat astroglial cell line in order to characterize specific pathways for transport. Pb uptake was saturable at pH 5.5 and 7.4, although quantitative differences existed in the Michaelis-Menten constants. At pH 7.4, the Vmax and Km were 2700 fmoles/mg protein/min and 13.4 microM, respectively, whereas the Vmax and Km were 329 fm...

There we made available information about the effects of the adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) 'c' conformation fixers (phenylarsine oxide (PAO), tert-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP), and carboxyatractyloside) as well as thiol reagent (4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (DIDS)) on isolated rat liver mitochondria. We observed a decrease in A540 (mitochondrial swelling) and respiratory con...

In this study, we hypothesized that the lung actively releases excess iron into the circulation to regulate iron homeostasis. We measured nonheme iron (NHFe) in the perfusate of control isolated perfused rabbit lungs and lungs with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) ventilated with normoxic (21% O(2)) or hypoxic (95% N(2)) gas mixtures. Some were perfused with bicarbonate-free (HEPES) buffer or treated...

This study was conducted to determine the contribution of ion transport to restitution after injury in the gastric mucosa. For this, intact sheets of stomach from the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana, were mounted in Ussing chambers. Restitution was evaluated in the presence or absence of ion transport inhibitors amiloride, DIDS, and bumetanide to block Na(+)/H(+) exchange, Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchange a...

• To understand the influence of changing surface ocean pH and carbonate chemistry on the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi, it is necessary to characterize mechanisms involved in pH homeostasis and ion transport. • Here, we measured effects of changes in seawater carbonate chemistry on the fluorescence emission ratio of BCECF (2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein) as a measu...