Abstract
THE absorption of many solutes and water by the intestinal mucosa is linked passively to an active transport of Na+ to produce an absorbate which is isotonic with the capillary plasmal1,2. Since Curran3 first proposed a double membrane model with a hypertonic compartment within the tissue, it has generally been accepted that the primary sites of Na+ transport4,5 and solute–water coupling are the lateral intercellular spaces (LIS) within the epithelium (for reviews see refs 6 and 7). Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain how the secretion of Na+ into LIS generates flow of water, but the sites within the tissue where the final isotonicity of the absorbate is achieved remain controversial8–15. This is chiefly because it has not been possible directly to measure the profiles of ionic concentrations in the US and surrounding tissue compartments. Indirect evidence has suggested that the extracellular spaces in gall bladder16, feline intestine17 and rabbit ileum18 contain higher concentrations than those found in external bathing solutions. We have now used electron microprobe X-ray analysis19–22 of frozen-hydrated sections to measure the concentration profiles of Na, K, Cl, Ca, S and P in the mucosal tissue of rabbit ileum. The results establish the hypertonicity of the fluid in the LIS and the concentration gradients of Na, K and Cl in the cells and in the LIS.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Schultz, S. G. & Curran, P. F. Physiol. Rev. 50, 637–718 (1970).
Schultz, S. G., Frizzell, R. A. & Nellans, H. N. A. Rev. Physiol. 36, 51–91 (1974).
Curran, P. F. J. gen. Physiol. 43, 1137–1148 (1960).
Stirling, C. E. J. Cell. Biol. 53, 704–714 (1972).
Mircheff, A. K. & Wright, E. M. J. Membrane Biol. 28, 309–333 (1976).
Keynes, R. D. Q. Rev. Biophys. 2, 177–281 (1969).
Oschman, J. L., Wall, B. J. & Gupta, B. L. Symp. Soc. exp. Biol. 28, 305–350 (1974).
House, C. R. Water Transport in Cells and Tissues (Arnold, London, 1974).
Diamond, J. M. Fedn Proc. 33, 2220 (1974).
Gupta, B. L. . in Perspectives in Experimental Biology (ed. Spender-Davies, P.) 25–42 (Pergamon, Oxford, 1976).
Sackin, H. & Boulpaep, E. L. J. gen. Physiol. 66, 671–733 (1975).
Huss, R. E. & Marsh, D. J. J. Membrane Biol. 23, 305–347 (1975).
Hill, A. E. Proc. R. Soc. B190, 99–134 (1975); in Transport of Ions and Water in Animals (eds Gupta, B. L., Moreton, R. B., Oschman, J. L. & Wall, B. J.) 183–213 (Academic, London, 1977).
Skadhauge, E. in Transport of Ions and Water in Animals (eds Gupta, B. L., Moreton, R. B., Oschman, J. L. & Wall, B. J.) 145–182 (Academic, London, 1977).
Diamond, J. M. Physiologist 20, 10–18 (1977).
Machen, T. E. & Diamond, J. M. J. Membrane Biol. 1, 194–213 (1969).
Jodal, M. Acta Physiol. Scand. 90, 79–85 (1974).
Simmons, N. L. & Naftalin, R. J. Biochim. biophys. Acta 448, 411–425 (1976); 426–450 (1976).
Gupta, B. L., Hall, T. A. & Moreton, R. B. in Transport of Ions and Water in Animals (eds Gupta, B. L., Moreton, R. B., Oschman, J. L. & Wall, B. J.) 83–143 (Academic, London, 1977).
Gupta, B. L., Hall, T. A., Maddrell, S. H. P. & Moreton, R. B. Nature 264, 284–287 (1976).
Gupta, B. L., Berridge, M. J., Hall, T. A. & Moreton, R. B. J. exp. Biol. 72, 261–284 (1978).
Berridge, M. J. et al. J. Physiol., Lond. 266, 32–33P (1976).
Nellans, H. N. & Schultz, S. G., J. gen. Physiol. 68, 441–463 (1976).
Frizzell, R. A. et al. Am. J. Physiol. 224, 328–337 (1973).
Zeuthen, T. in Comparative Physiology—Water, Ions and Fluid Mechanics (eds Schmidt-Nielsen, K., Bolis, L. & Maddrell, S. H. P.) 3–19 (Cambridge University Press, London, 1977).
Pietrzyk, L. G. & Heinz, E. Biochim. biophys. Acta 352, 397–411 (1974).
Gupta, B. L. in Proc. Workshop on Biological X-ray Microanalysis by Electron, Beam Excitation, Boston, U.S.A. (in the press).
Gupta, B. L., Naftalin, R. J. & Hall, T. A., in preparation.
Moosker, M. S. J. Cell. Biol. 71, 417–433 (1976).
Goldman, R., Pollard, T. & Rosenbaum, J. Cold Spring Harb. Conf. Cell Proliferation, 3 (1976).
Diamond, J. M. & Bossert, W. H. J. gen. Physiol. 50, 2061–2083 (1967).
Goldgraben, J. R. & Weinbaum, S. J. Fluid. Mech. 59, 159–175 (1973).
Naftalin, R. J. & Curran, P. F. J. Membrane Biol. 16, 257–278 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
GUPTA, B., HALL, T. & NAFTALIN, R. Microprobe measurement of Na, K and Cl concentration profiles in epithelial cells and intercellular spaces of rabbit ileum. Nature 272, 70–73 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272070a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/272070a0
This article is cited by
-
Osmoregulation and epithelial water transport: lessons from the intestine of marine teleost fish
Journal of Comparative Physiology B (2012)
-
X-Ray microanalysis of the secretory granules in goblet cells of mouse intestinal tracts: Changes with age
Medical Electron Microscopy (1998)
-
Ultrastructure of the anal organ of Musca domestica larvae (Insecta, Diptera) in relation to ion transport
Zoomorphology (1989)
-
Isosmotic secretion in the avian nasal salt gland: X-ray microanalysis of luminal and intracellular ion distributions
Journal of Comparative Physiology B (1985)
-
Electrophysiological studies on lateral intercellular spaces ofNecturus gallbladder epithelium
Pfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology (1985)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.