Electrical properties of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Chloride accumulation in freshly isolated Ehrlich ascites tumor cells: the role of the Na/K/2Cl cotransporter

When Ehrlich ascites tumor cells are removed from the peritoneal cavity and incubated in a saline solution, cells lose water, sodium, lactate and hydrogen ions and gain chloride. The gain of intracellular chloride exceeds that predicted from passive distribution. As chloride has been purported to play a role in volume regulation, it was of interest to identify factors responsible for controlling or maintaining intracellular chloride out of electrochemical equilibrium in Ehrlich cells. The results demonstrate that chloride accumulation in freshly isolated Ehrlich cells is sensitive to bumetanide, low extracellular K+ and low extracellular Na+, and is insensitive to DIDS. We conclude that chloride accumulation occurs due to the activity of the Na/K/2Cl cotransporter.

Inability of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells to volume regulate following a hyperosmotic challenge

Ehrlich cells shrink when the osmolality of the suspending medium is increased and behave, at least initially, as osmometers. Subsequent behavior depends on the nature of the hyperosmotic solute but in no case did the cells exhibit regulatory volume increase. With hyperosmotic NaCl an osmometric response was found and the resultant volume maintained relatively constant. Continuous shrinkage was observed, however, with sucrose-induced hyperosmolality. In both cases increasing osmolality from 300 to 500 mOSM initiated significant changes in cellular electrolyte content, as well as intracellular pH. This was brought about by activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger, the Na/K pump, the Na+ + K+ + 2Cl cotransporter and by loss of K+ via a Ba-sensitive pathway. The cotransporter in response to elevated [Cl-]i (approximately 100 mM) and/or the increase in the outwardly directed gradient of chemical potential for Na+, K+ and Cl-, mediated net loss of ions which accounted for cell shrinkage in the sucrose-containing medium. In hyperosmotic NaCl, however, the net Cl- flux was almost zero suggesting minimal net cotransport activity. We conclude that volume stability following cell shrinkage depends on the transmembrane gradient of chemical potential for [Na+ + K+ + Cl-], as well as the ratio of intra- to extracellular [Cl-]. Both factors appear to influence the activity of the cotransport pathway.

Membrane potential, anion and cation conductances in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

The fluorescence intensity of the dye 1,1'-dipropylox-adicarbocyanine (DiOC3-(5] has been measured in suspensions of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in an attempt to monitor their membrane potential (Vm) under different ionic conditions, after treatment with cation ionophores and after hypotonic cell swelling. Calibration is performed with gramicidin in Na+-free K-/choline-media, i.e., standard medium in which NaCl is replaced by KCl and cholineCl and where the sum of potassium and choline is kept constant at 155 mM. Calibration by the valinomycin "null point" procedure described by Laris et al. (Laris, P.C., Pershadsingh, A., Johnstone, R.M., 1976, Biochim, Biophys. Acta 436:475-488) is shown to be valid only in the presence of the Cl- -channel blocker indacrinone (MK196). Distribution of the lipophilic anion SCN- as an indirect estimation of the membrane potential is found not to be applicable for the fast changes in Vm reported in this paper. Incubation with DiOC3-(5) for 5 min is demonstrated to reduce the Cl permeability by 26 +/- 5% and the NO3- permeability by 15 +/- 2%, while no significant effect of the probe could be demonstrated on the K+ permeability. Values for Vm, corrected for the inhibitory effect of the dye on the anion conductance, are estimated at -61 +/- 1 mV in isotonic standard NaCl medium, -78 +/- 3 mV in isotonic Na+-free choline medium and -46 +/- 1 mV in isotonic NaNO3 medium. The cell membrane is depolarized by addition of the K+ channel inhibitor quinine and it is hyperpolarized when the cells are suspended in Na+-free choline medium, indicating that Vm is generated partly by potassium and partly by sodium diffusion. Ehrlich cells have previously been shown to be more permeable to nitrate than to chloride. Substituting NO3- for all cellular and extracellular Cl- leads to a depolarization of the membrane, demonstrating that Vm is also generated by the anions and that anions are above equilibrium. Taking the previously demonstrated single-file behavior of the K+ channels into consideration, the membrane conductances in Ehrlich cells are estimated at 10.4 microS/cm2 for K+, 3.0 microS/cm2 for Na+, 0.6 microS/cm2 for Cl- and 8.7 microS/cm2 for NO3-. Addition of the Ca2+-ionophore A23187 results in net loss of KCl and a hyperpolarization of the membrane, indicating that the K+ permeability exceeds the Cl- permeability also after the addition of A23187. The K+ and Cl- conductances in A23187-treated Ehrlich cells are estimated at 134 and 30 microS/cm2, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

pH distributions in spontaneous and isotransplanted rat tumours

Spontaneous mammary tumours of the rat with various degrees of malignancy exhibit similar tissue pH distributions. The mean pH (+/- s.d.) of dysplasia is 7.05 +/- 0.20. In benign tumours the mean pH is 6.95 +/- 0.19 and in malignant tumours it is 6.94 +/- 0.19. In contrast, tumours with the same degree of malignancy but different histologies show different pH distributions. Benign tumours with a higher percentage of fibrous tissue exhibit less acidic pH values than those with larger portions of epithelial cells (delta pH = 0.38 pH units). The pH distribution in the benign tumours is independent of the tumour wet weight up to stages of very advanced growth. In the malignant tumours, a trend towards more acidic pH values is observed as the tumour mass enlarges. However, in tissue areas within a malignant tumour with gross, long-established necrosis the pH distribution is shifted towards more alkaline pH values. The pH distributions in spontaneous rat tumours are not significantly different from those obtained in isotransplanted Yoshida sarcomas (6.87 +/- 0.21). In the Yoshida sarcomas, mean pH values do not correlate with tumour size. However, a pH gradient from the rim to the centre of the tumours is found which coincides with the development of small, disseminated necroses in the tumour centre. It is concluded that pathology-related variations of tumour pH may be more important than the mode of tumour origin or the degree of malignancy.

Electrophysiology of cell volume regulation in proximal tubules of the mouse kidney

The present study has been designed to test for the influence of cell swelling on the potential difference and conductive properties of the basolateral cell membrane in isolated perfused proximal tubules. During control conditions the potential difference across the basolateral cell membrane (PDbl) is -65 +/- 1 mV (n = 74). Decrease of peritubular osmolarity by 80 mosmol/l depolarizes the basolateral cell membrane by +7.8 +/- 0.5 mV (n = 42). An increase of bath potassium concentration from 5 to 20 mmol/l depolarizes the basolateral cell membrane by +25 +/- 1 mV (n = 11), an increase of bath bicarbonate concentration from 20 to 60 mmol/l hyperpolarizes the basolateral cell membrane by -3.2 +/- 0.5 mV (n = 13). A decrease of bath chloride concentration from 79.6 to 27 mmol/l hyperpolarizes the basolateral cell membrane by -1.8 +/- 0.7 mV (n = 6). During reduced bath osmolarity, the influence of altered bath potassium concentration on PDbl is decreased (delta PDbl = +16 +/- 2 mV, n = 11), the influence of altered bicarbonate concentration on PDbl is increased (delta PDbl = -6.0 +/- 0.8 mV, n = 13), and the influence of altered bath chloride concentration on PDbl is unaffected (delta PDbl = -1.8 +/- 0.6 mV, n = 6). Barium depolarizes the basolateral cell membrane to -28 +/- 2 mV (n = 16). In the presence of 1 mmol/l barium, decrease of peritubular osmolarity by 80 mosmol/l leads to a transient hyperpolarization of the basolateral cell membrane by -5.9 +/- 0.5 mV (n = 16).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Some novel aspects of the relationship between the amino acid gradient and the sodium electrochemical gradient in mouse ascites tumour cells

Accumulation of 2-aminoisobutyrate by mouse ascites tumour cells was studied in circumstances where nigericin reversed the normal direction of the Na+ concentration gradient. The membrane potential (delta psi) was assayed using oxonol V as a voltage-sensitive probe. The amino acid gradient (delta mu A) that formed did not significantly exceed the likely magnitude of the Na+ electrochemical gradient when this was in the range 2-6 kJ mol-1. When delta-Na mu increased up to 11 kJ mol-1, delta mu A was almost constant at 7-8 kJ mol-1. The observations indicate that when delta psi is large changes in cellular [Na+] in the range 16-80 mM scarcely affect delta mu A.

Potassium conductance in straight proximal tubule cells of the mouse. Effect of barium, verapamil and quinidine

The present study has been performed to test for the influence of verapamil and quinidine on the potential difference across the basolateral cell membrane (PDbl) and on the basolateral potassium conductance of isolated perfused segments of the mouse proximal tubule. PDbl was recorded continuously with conventional microelectrodes during rapid alterations of bath or luminal perfusate composition. The contribution of the basolateral potassium conductance to the conductance of both cell membranes (tk) was estimated from the effects of altered bath potassium concentration on PDbl. Under control conditions tk approaches 0.8, i.e. the basolateral cell membrane is mainly conductive to potassium. Neither quinidine nor verapamil affect PDbl at concentrations below 10 mumol/l. At higher concentrations both substances depolarize the basolateral cell membrane mimicking the effect of 1 mmol/l barium. In the presence of 0.1 mmol/l verapamil tk is virtually abolished at 5 to 10 mmol/l bath potassium concentration but is almost unaffected at bath potassium concentrations between 20 and 40 mmol/l. 1 mumol/l ionophore A-23187 does not change the depolarizing effect of 0.1 mmol/l verapamil on cell membrane potential. In the presence of 0.1 mmol/l quinidine, tk is reduced to some 50%, irrespective of the bath potassium concentration. It is concluded that the potassium conductance in straight proximal tubules is inhibited not only by barium but as well by high concentrations of verapamil and quinidine. The effect is probably direct and not related to alterations in the intracellular calcium activity.