What dual-action agents reveal about acid secretion: a combined experimental and modeling analysis.

A previously described simple mathematical model for gastric acid secretion is employed to characterize the acid secretion response to thiocyanate and omeprazole, two partially conservative inhibitors that inhibit both the formation and translocation of acid. In addition, the effect of dithiothreitol on the omeprazole inhibition was investigated. The model parameters were estimated from four data sets by a non-linear least squares procedure: a dynamic (time-dependent) set, made up of individual acid secretion rate curves; and three integral (time-independent) sets consisting of the curves of acid secreted and suppressed above and below baseline, respectively, and the index of conservation, all three as functions of agent exposure. At the translocation step the inhibition function was the same for the two inhibitors, and though similar at the formation step, they differ in that a Hill coefficient larger than unity is necessary in the thiocyanate inhibition function of the acid formation. Dithiothreitol protects only the formation step from inhibition by omeprazole. Hence, the binding sites for omeprazole are different for formation and translocation. This study exemplifies a non-invasive method for the investigation of the mechanism of gastric acid secretion following perturbation by external agents.

Dynamics of a metabolic system: what single-action agents reveal about acid secretion.

A simple single-state nonlinear mathematical model of an open metabolic system is shown to be an adequate representation of acid secretion in frog gastric mucosa. The parameters of the elemental model were estimated from data, and subsystems of augmented models were established for histamine, a nonconservative stimulus acting via binding to receptors, and for two inhibitors of acid secretion. The latter included metiamide, a nonconservative histamine antagonist, which affects the formation of acid by competitive binding to the histamine receptors, and nitrite, a conservative inhibitor, which affects the rate of acid translocation. For parameter estimation, two data sets were analyzed by a nonlinear least-squares procedure: a dynamic (time dependent) set consisting of individual acid secretion rate curves and an integral (time independent) set consisting of the curves of acid secreted and suppressed above or below baseline, respectively, as functions of agent exposure. Because the model is instrumental in the estimation of parameters of subsystems that are not accessible through direct observation, it can serve as a research tool in the investigation of the mechanism of gastric acid secretion under a variety of experimental conditions.

Extracellular potassium is necessary for acid translocation but not for acid formation in gastric mucosa.

Removal of potassium from the nutrient solution of a gastric mucosa results in monotonic decline in acid secretion rate. When potassium is added back to the nutrient solution, acid secretion recovers. In both spontaneously and sub-maximally secreting tissue the recovery of the acid secretion rate takes the form of a transient overshoot above the baseline such that the amount of suppressed acid in the absence of potassium is equal to the amount of acid that is secreted above baseline once potassium is added back. The index of conservation r is zero, i.e., the effect is conservative. In maximally secreting tissue the secretion rate only returns to pre-inhibitory level without an overshoot. The net effect is nonconservative with r = -1. Conservative effect under maximally stimulating conditions was unmasked by exposing the tissue to a stimulus for a specific length of time and comparing amount of acid secreted when nutrient potassium was present with amount of acid secreted when potassium was removed and then added back to the nutrient solution. Stimulation with forskolin is not expressed in the absence of potassium but is unmasked once potassium is added back to the nutrient solution. The conclusion is: removing potassium from the nutrient side inhibits proton translocation by decreasing Vmax and/or increasing Km but is without effect on the formation of acid. Adding potassium back restores the parameter(s) for the translocation step.

Accumulation of weak base in gastric mucosa provides evidence for an acidic storage compartment.

Uptake and release of acridine orange (AO), a fluorescent weak base that accumulates in acidic spaces, were studied in perfused frog gastric mucosa. Tissue was mounted between two flow-through chambers and loaded with AO on the mucosal side. AO washout and acid secretion rate were monitored simultaneously by a flow-through fluorescence detector and a pH-stat, respectively. Data were displayed on a computer screen, stored, and analyzed. AO, in concentrations as high as 0.02 mM, does not affect the acid secretion rate. Nonlinear least-squares analysis of AO washout curves resolved two exponential components: a faster component associated mainly with AO washout from the chamber and a slower component reflecting primarily AO washout from the tissue. The slower exponential declines more slowly at higher concentrations and/or longer duration of AO loading, whereas the faster exponential is unaffected. AO washout is unaffected by the level of the steady-state acid secretion rate. Nitrite inhibits the acid secretion rate but does not affect the AO washout. When nitrite is removed, acid secretion rate and fluorescence (AO concentration in the mucosal medium) increase simultaneously and transiently. The net amount of AO released from the tissue is proportional to the net amount of acid released. Stimulation by secretagogue in basally secreting tissue causes synchronous transient increases in acid secretion rate and fluorescence. We conclude that accumulation of AO provides evidence for the existence of an intracellular storage pool of free protons within the transporting epithelium.

Omeprazole: inhibitor of both acid formation and translocation in gastric mucosa.

Omeprazole, believed to inhibit H+, K+-ATPase, was used to study acid secretion dynamics in isolated gastric mucosa. Tissue was mounted in a chamber and continuously supplied with both fresh nutrient and secretory solution (flow-through). Acid secretion was monitored on and recorded by a pH-stat microprocessor set-up. In spontaneously secreting mucosa the continuous presence of omeprazole causes a monotonic decline in secretion rate to a new lower steady state. The relationship between the inhibited steady-state acid secretion rate and omeprazole concentration is expressed by the sum of two hyperbolic functions with K1s differing by a factor of more than 100. When omeprazole is removed, the secretion rate always recovers. The amount of acid suppressed depends uniquely on omeprazole exposure: it is proportional to the exposure at low exposure and disproportionate (logarithmic) at high exposure. The index of conservation declines with omeprazole exposure, i.e. the inhibition by omeprazole ranges from conservative (no net loss of acid) to non-conservative (net loss of acid). Dithiothreitol causes the inhibition by omeprazole to be conservative (index of conservation = 0) at even higher omeprazole exposure. The index of conservation was introduced to allow for numerical evaluation of both inhibitory and stimulatory effects regardless of the magnitude of the effect. It is concluded that omeprazole acts at two different sites, possibly with inhibition by sulphoxide derivatives on the formation step and sulphide derivatives on the translocation step.

Conservative and nonconservative inhibitors of gastric acid secretion.

Inhibitors of the initial step (H2-antagonist) and of the final step (thiocyanate, SCN-; and nitrite, NO2-) were used to study the dynamics of acid secretion in isolated frog gastric mucosa. Tissues were mounted in flow-through chambers, and the acid secretion rate (SR) was recorded on a pH-stat microprocessor. Continuous presence of H2-antagonist decreases the SR to a lower steady state, and on removal the SR returns to basal SR, causing a net loss of acid, the nonconservative effect. The amount of lost acid is a unique function of exposure, thus, independent of the patterns (pulses or steps) of inhibition. In contrast, continuous presence of SCN- or NO2- (below 3 mM) results in an undershoot in SR with a return to basal SR, whereas at higher concentrations there is no return. Removal of these inhibitors causes an overshoot in SR with return to basal SR. The rebound acid is equal to acid suppressed by NO2- and low concentration of SCN-, resulting in no net loss of acid, the conservative effect, whereas at high concentrations of SCN- there is an apparent loss of acid. In maximally secreting tissue the overshoot of SR is not observed. However, the acid is not lost, merely delayed. In resting tissue NO2- also merely delays the exit of the acid produced in response to forskolin. The rebound acid is proposed to reside in a sequestered "acid" pool that is stable for at least 120 min. Results with NO2- and SCN- suggest an effect on a saturable exit enzyme, possibly the K+-H+-ATPase.

Comparing binding of histamine and H2-antagonist with their effects on gastric acid secretion.

A microsomal fraction from isolated frog gastric mucosa was used to study the binding of labeled histamine, labeled metiamide (a histamine H2-antagonist), and competition between labeled histamine and unlabeled metiamide. The separation of free from bound ligand was done by gel chromatography. The acid secretion was studied in frog gastric mucosa in vitro by a pH-stat method. The binding data could be interpreted in terms of two independent binding sites for both histamine and metiamide. However, the competition between histamine and metiamide does not support the independence of the sites. Moreover, the dissociation kinetics of labeled metiamide in the presence of unlabeled metiamide is non-monotone and, thus, indicates cooperativity. In the physiological studies, the dependence of the rate of acid secretion on histamine stimulation occurs within very narrow limits, which is the result of characteristics other than related to binding. However, the total amount of acid secreted caused by a pulse of histamine does indicate two sites, of which the high-affinity site is the more effective. Metiamide inhibition of acid secretion can be interpreted as an interaction between high-affinity sites of histamine and metiamide. Overall, studies involving physiological effects provide less precise data than the direct binding studies.

Histamine: the sole mediator of pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion.

Isolated frog gastric mucosa was used to study the effect of pentagastrin on histamine release and acid secretion. The release of histamine precedes that of acid secretion. The delay time and time of peak acid secretion occur later than during histamine stimulation. Short exposure (pulse) results in transient increases in both acid secretion and histamine release rates, while longer exposure (step) results in prolonged increases in both variables. Dose-response curves for pentagastrin pulses show that both the total amount of histamine released and the total amount of acid secreted are saturable processes, paralleling each other. Thus, the total amount of acid secreted is a function of histamine (released) exposure (M min-1) in the extracellular space. Repeated exposure will give multiple responses only if the time elapsed between the stimuli is long enough. The magnitude of the responses depends on the length of time intervals between the stimuli and the concentration of the stimuli. Simultaneously administered pulses of histamine and pentagastrin result in merely additive amount of acid being secreted. From these observations I conclude that pentagastrin-induced acid secretion can be understood solely in terms of its effect on histamine release and that depletion of histamine stores is responsible for the observed refractoriness.

Thiocyanate and nitrite inhibit proton translocation in gastric mucosa.

Isolated frog gastric mucosa was used to study the separation of formation of protons (or their precursors) from proton translocation by using various inhibitors. Both thiocyanate (SCN-) and nitrite (NO2-) inhibit the acid secretion in spontaneously secreting mucosa. The inhibition is reversed when the inhibitor is removed such that the excess acid secreted above baseline in the 'off'-period compensates for the amount inhibited in the 'on'-period. Both agents also inhibit the effect on acid secretion of pulse stimulation with histamine though to a lesser extent. Upon removal of the inhibitor, the total amount of acid secreted in excess of basal is equal to that observed with histamine alone. Likewise, metiamide, an H2-antagonist, also inhibits acid secretion with or without histamine. However, in contrast to SCN- and NO2-, removal of this inhibitor is without effect on the acid-secretion rate. These results indicate that both SCN- and NO2- inhibit the proton translocation rather than the formation of protons or their precursors as is the case with metiamide.

Reversible effects of phenothiazines on frog gastric stimulation.

The calmodulin inhibitors trifluoperazine (TFP), chlorpromazine (CPZ), and promethazine (PZ) were tested for effects on stimulus-secretion coupling in in vitro bullfrog gastric mucosa. When added to histamine-stimulated tissues, the drugs caused H+ secretion to decrease and transepithelial resistance to increase over a 2-h time course. The potency sequence was TFP (IC50 = 40 microM) greater than CPZ (IC50 = 72 microM) congruent to PZ (IC50 = 72 microM). Anesthetics and other phenothiazines with weak anticalmodulin activity had no effect on secretory parameters. In the presence of histamine, further addition of isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) plus dibutyryl cAMP (DBcAMP), IBMX alone, or forskolin (a specific activator of adenylate cyclase) to phenothiazine-inhibited tissues caused full resumption of secretory activity. If TFP (50 microM) was added before stimulation with histamine, the normal increases in tissue cAMP content (which occurs primarily in oxyntic cells), oxyntic cell apical membrane elaboration (morphometric analysis of electron micrographs), and H+ secretion were all blocked. Subsequent addition of IBMX or IBMX plus DBcAMP completely reversed the TFP effect. These results indicate that the histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase may be the site of TFP inhibition and Ca2+-calmodulin regulation; since these drugs inhibited stimulation by DBcAMP plus IBMX, they may also be exerting additional effects distal to cAMP generation.

Invariant relation between total acid secretion and secretagogue exposure: secretory dynamics in bullfrog.

Using a continuous recording of acid secretion in frog gastric mucosa by pH-stat interfaced with a microcomputer, the pattern of secretion rate was studied under variable concentrations and durations of stimulation by histamine and forskolin. This tissue can respond with only a limited range of secretory rates. Larger concentrations and/or longer durations of stimulation may result in a secretion rate pattern prolonged far beyond the duration of stimulation. Although for the concentration-response curve the steady-state or peak acid secretion varies with the duration of stimulation, total acid secreted as a function of exposure to stimulator (time integral of the stimulatory pattern) is independent of the stimulatory pattern.

A model eliciting transient responses.

A simple parametrically controlled chemical transformation scheme is used to exemplify a model with transient response to sustained stimulation. More complicated schemes are also discussed. Analyses of three experimental examples are given: short-circuit current changes in toad bladder exposed to adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) stimulation; histamine secretion in acetylcholine-stimulated frog gastric mucosa; and cAMP dynamics, expressed in terms of adenylate cyclase dynamics, in histamine-stimulated frog gastric mucosa. The model responds primarily to the changes of the stimulator level, although it is not a model with derivative control.

Histamine, cAMP, and activation of piglet gastric mucosa.

The involvement of cAMP as a second messenger for histamine-induced H+ secretion was studied in a physiologically active, in vitro preparation of piglet gastric mucosa. During the first 5--10 min of stimulation with either histamine or the cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1,4-methylxanthine (IBMX), increases (greater than or equal to 5-fold) in tissue cAMP content [(c-AMP]) were well correlated with the characteristic decrease in transepithelial resistance (R); these changes precede H+ secretion by several minutes. Control experiments indicate that, during these treatments, tissue [cAMP] is dominated by the [cAMP] of oxyntic cells alone; change in R and H+ are also related to activity of these cells alone. At the steady state (45 min), histamine and IBMX caused equivalent increases in H+ and decreases in R, but [cAMP] was markedly different in the two cases. With IBMX [cAMP] was elevated at least fivefold, whereas with histamine [cAMP] was less than or equal to 50% above resting levels. The tissue is also stimulated by exogenous additions of dibutyryl cAMP. A histamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase was present in isolated, purified oxyntic cells. The histamine sensitivity of the cyclase was very similar to that which the intact tissue exhibits for histamine-induced changes in H+ and R. The cyclase activity was blocked by cimetidine but not by promethazine. We conclude that during stimulation histamine activates a histamine (H2)-sensitive adenylate cyclase of oxyntic cells, and there is a rapid increase in cellular [cAMP] that is involved in activation of H+ transport and other associated changes of oxyntic cells. An active phosphodiesterase is responsible for reducing [cAMP] to a level much below the "peak" value. Other cellular factors (e.g. protein kinases and Ca2+-calmodulin) must also be involved in the maintenance of the stimulated state of oxyntic cells.

Increase of intracellular pH in secreting frog gastric mucosa.

A method of estimation of pH in frog gastric mucosa by measuring the apparent creatine kinase equilibrium was studied. In a resting, in vitro preparation of frog stomach the intracellular pH was found to increase linearly with an increase in the serosal pH. This increase was also accompanied by an increase in the apparent equilibrium constant of the creatine kinase reaction. A similar increase was found when the resting mucosa was stimulated with histamine plus theophylline. During this procedure the total constant of adenine nucleotides and creating plus creatine phosphate remained constant.

Histamine and cAMP as possible mediators of acetylcholine-induced acid secretion.

Data are presented in support of the role of histamine and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) as mediators of acetylcholine-induced acid secretion in frog gastric mucosa. These data also support the notion that acetylcholine-induced alkaline secretion is mediated by guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP). Tissue cAMP and cGMP and rates of acid secretion and histamine release were measured in in vitro preparations of frog gastric mucosa that had been stimulated by acetylcholine. A transient increase in each variable was observed, the sequence of transient maxima being histamine release, cGMP, cAMP, and acid secretion. Atropine, an anticholnergic agent, eliminated all four transient increases, the variables remaining at resting levels. Metiamide, a H2-antagonist, modified the changes observed after acetylcholine stimulation. The acid secretion transience was abolished and the transient increase in tissue cAMP was greatly diminished, whereas the tissue of cGMP transience and histamine release transience remained unchanged. A model is proposed in which acetylcholine initiates two different processes, acid and alkaline secretions.

Kinetics of cyclic AMP in toad bladder.

Tissue distributions of cyclic [3H]AMP and [14C]inulin in toad bladder were determined and their kinetics analyzed. We found that both the epithelial and the other cells of the toad bladder handle cyclic AMP similarly. Moreover, we found that the distribution of cyclic AMP did not differ from that of inulin, an extracellular marker. Kinetic analysis suggests that the rate coefficient of cyclic AMP metabolism is much larger than the exchange rate coefficient, which explains why distribution of both cyclic AMP and inulin are similar.

Differential covalent labeling of apical and basal-lateral membranes of the epithelium of the toad bladder.

The apical (luminal) plasma membrane of toad bladder epithelial cells has been labeled with (125I) diazo-diiodo sulfanilic acid (125I-DDISA) as demonstrated by electron-microscopic autoradiography. The silver grains (125I) were localized exclusively to the apical surface. At concentrations of DDISA of 10(-3) M or less, binding to the apical membrane had no significant effect on the fine structure of the epithelium. At concentrations of DDISA of 10(-6) M or less, the baseline short-circuit current (SCC), and the response to cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) plus theophylline were unimpaired. At 10(-5) M, baseline SCC was unchanged and the response to cyclic AMP plus theophylline was enhanced. At concentrations of 10(-4) M and greater baseline SCC was depressed and the response to the nucleotide inhibited. The basal-lateral epithelial plasma membranes were labeled by exposing the serosal side to pyridoxal phosphate and reducing the resultant Schiff base with sodium borotritide (3H-NaBH1). In electron-microscopic autoradiographs, the silver grains (3H) were found over the basal and lateral surfaces of the epithelium. At concentrations of pyridoxal phosphate of 10(-4) M and 3H-NaBH1 of 10(-3) M, there were no significant changes in the fine structure of the epithelium. Addition of pyridoxal phosphate (10(-4) M) and NaBH4 (10(-3) M) to the serosal side decreased the baseline SCC significantly but not the response to vasopressin. Covalent attachment of the 125I and the 3H was indicated by resistance to elution in the preparation of the sections for electron-microscopy and the reagent requirements for binding.

Effects of sulfhydryl reagents on basal and vasopressin-stimulated Na+ transport in the toad bladder.

The role of reactive SH groups (presumably in proteins) of the apical plasma membrane in transepithelial Na+ transport was studied in the isolated urinary bladder of the toad. On the basis of assays for TCA-soluble SH compounds (e.g., glutathione, methionine), PCMB, PCMPS, NTCB, and DTNB did not penetrate the intracellular compartment from the luminal media either in control or vasopressin-treated bladders. In contrast, PCMB from the serosal side and NEM from the luminal side titrated significant fractions of the TCA-soluble SH compounds. We conclude, therefore, the PCMB, PCMPS, NTCB, and DTNB are suitable reagents for studies on the physiological properties of apical plasma membrane SH groups. Titration of apical membrane SH groups with PCMPS, NTCB, and DTNB revealed heterogeneity in functional responses: PCMPS and NTCB elicited transient, 25-60% increases in SCC. In substrate-free media, pretreatment with these reagents inhibited the increase in SCC produced by vasopressin or cyclic AMP (+ theophylline). In glucose-enriched media, the responses to combinations of vasopressin and PCMPS or NTCB were additive, implying activation via parallel pathways. Simultaneous addition of vasopressin or cyclic AMP (+ theophylline) and NTCB resulted in marked synergism, presumably as a result of unmasking of SH groups by the the hormone (or the intermediate). These results suggest that basal Na+ transport is regulated in part by SH compounds in the apical membrane that are distinct, although not necessarily different in kind, from those involved in the response to vasopressin.