The Na+, K+, and Cl- Content of Goose Salt Gland Slices and the Effects of Acetylcholine and Ouabain

In goose salt gland slices incubated in bicarbonate-buffered medium which contained 170 mEq of Na(+)/liter, net total tissue Na(+), expressed as milliequivalents per kilogram, was, in the presence of either acetylcholine (plus eserine) or ouabain, significantly higher than that of the bathing fluid. Acetylcholine caused an increase in the tissue Na(+) content as compared with untreated slices; there was an approximately equivalent decrease in K(+) and a significant decrease in Cl(-). The calculated net intracellular concentrations of Na(+), expressed as milliequivalents per liter of intracellular water, in unstimulated, acetylcholine-stimulated, and ouabain-treated slices were 2.1, 3.1, and 2.7 times higher, respectively, than the concentration of Na(+) in the bathing fluid. The net intracellular concentration of Na(+), expressed as milliequivalents per liter of intracellular water, in slices incubated in the presence of acetylcholine was 531 mEq/liter; this is approximately the same as the concentration of Na(+) in the secreted fluid of the goose salt gland (515 mEq/liter). The results indicate that the main concentration gradient for Na(+) could be established across the basal membrane. The data do not indicate whether this involves active transport of Na(+) per se. A second stage which might involve Na-K ATPase activity at the luminal membrane is discussed. The sum of the total tissue Na(+) and K(+) was approximately 250 mEq/kg, whereas the Cl(-) content was only approximately 130 mEq/kg.