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. 1971 Mar;213(2):399–410. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009389

Intracellular concentrations of sodium, potassium and chloride in the salt-gland of the domestic goose and their relation to the secretory mechanism

M Peaker
PMCID: PMC1331767  PMID: 5574842

Abstract

1. The composition of the nasal salt-glands of geese was found to be Na 57 ± 3·5 (S.E.), K 52·3 ± 3·9 and Cl 78·3 ± 11·0 m-equiv/kg fresh tissue. During secretion, the Na content was significantly raised to 72·4 ± 3·4 m-equiv/kg.

2. Salt-gland slices incubated in Krebs—Henseleit bicarbonate medium plus glucose (6 mM), in the presence of [14C]sucrose as an extracellular marker had the following composition, Na 85·3 ± 3·1, K 37·1 ± 3·1 and Cl 74·3 ± 3·6 m-equiv/kg. The calculated intracellular concentrations were for Na 61·5 ± 2·1, K 105·3 ± 8·7 and Cl 37·8 ± 5·0 m-equiv/l. intracellular water.

3. Ouabain (10-4 M) significantly decreased the tissue and cell K concentration and significantly increased the Na concentration.

4. Acetylcholine (10-6 M) and eserine (10-4 M) in the incubation medium had no effect on intracellular composition.

5. Raising the Na concentration of the medium to 172 m-equiv/l. and the Cl to 156 m-equiv/l. in two experiments had no effect on the calculated intracellular composition.

6. These results do not support reports that the cells have a very high Na concentration (about 350 m-equiv/l. intracellular water). They are compatible with the hypothesis that the hypertonic secretion is formed across the luminal membrane of the secretory cell by an active Na+ pump and there are no data to suggest that Na+ is concentrated across the basal membrane by a ouabain-insensitive process.

7. The data are discussed in relation to permeability studies and to electrical potential measurements within the gland by other workers.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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