Effects of ammonium ion and ammonia on function and morphology of in vitro frog gastric mucosa

Abstract

The effects of ammonium ion (NH+4) and ammonia (NH3) on function and morphology of gastric epithelial cells were studied in intact sheets of in vitro frog (Rana catesbeiana) gastric mucosa. Luminal 115 mM NH4Cl at luminal pH 8.0 (calculated [NH3] 2.7 mM), but not at 5.0 (calculated [NH3] 3 microM) induced 1) an increase in intracellular pH (pHi) in oxynticopeptic cells (OPC) and decreases in transmucosal potential difference (PD) and electrical resistance (R) in resting tissues, 2) a decrease in histamine-stimulated H+ secretion and an increase in H+ backdiffusion after removal of luminal NH4Cl, and 3) augmented acidification of OPC during luminal acidification. Serosal 30 mM NH4Cl at serosal pH 7.2 (calculated [NH3] 0.47 mM) induced 1) an increase in pHi in OPC and inhibition of the alkalinization of OPC after removal of ambient Cl-, 2) a decrease in PD associated with the increase in R and decrease in short-circuit current, effects attenuated by serosal 15 mM K+, accentuated by 0.2 mM Ba2+, and abolished by removal of ambient Cl-, 3) a sudden drop of PD in resting, but not in stimulated tissues, effects prevented by high serosal pH (7.8), serosal HCO3-, or removal of luminal Cl-, 4) a decrease in histamine-stimulated H+ secretion and an increase in H+ backdiffusion after removal of NH4Cl, and 5) augmented acidification of OPC during luminal acidification. These results suggest that 1) luminal NH3, but not NH+4, increases backdiffusion of H+ from the lumen to the mucosa, 2) serosal NH3 and/or NH+4 induces depolarization of OPC and decreases electrogenic Cl- transport, thereby attenuating the activity of the basolateral Cl(-)-HCO3- exchanger in OPC, and 3) both of these effects contribute to the augmented acidification of OPC during exposure to high luminal [H+].