Active sodium transport in toad bladder despite removal of serosal potassium

¹ Departments of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Previous studies have demonstrated that removal of potassium from sodium-Ringer solution bathing the serosal surface of the toad badder depressed net sodium transport to some 5% of control value, whereas with choline-Ringer solution as serosal medium removal of serosal potassium depressed net sodium transport only to some 55% of control value. Although transport is down a chemical potential gradient in the latter situation, it appears to be an active process, for it is depressed by anaerobiosis, and persists against an electrochemical potential gradient. The data suggest that the concentration of potassium at the serosal aspect of the sodium pump is not in itself the rate-determining factor for active sodium transport following removal of serosal potassium.

Key Words: coupled sodium-potassium transport • choline

Submitted on May 14, 1964