Role of vacuolar adenosine triphosphatase in the regulation of cytosolic pH in hepatocytes

The responses of the cytosolic pH of hepatocytes in suspension to agents affecting the activity of vacuolar adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase) and Na/H exchange have been studied. Changes of cytosolic pH were determined both with dual-wavelength excitation (500/440 nm) of the fluorescence of 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(and 6)-carboxyfluorescein and from the distribution of 14C-dimethyloxazolidinedione; both methods gave very similar results. Changes of vesicular pH were determined by comparing the fluorescence of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran and rhodamine B isothiocyanate-dextran taken up by endocytosis. Nitrate, which inhibits V-ATPase in isolated organelles, induced a concentration-dependent acidification of the cytosol and alkalinization of vesicles, with maximal effects at 25-37.5 mM in each case, indicating that V-ATPase contributes to removal of cytosolic protons. On continued exposure to nitrate, the acidification underwent an amiloride-inhibitable reversal. At the higher concentrations of NO3-, both cytosolic acidification and vesicular alkalinization were reduced or absent. Bafilomycin A1 caused alkalinization of vesicular pH; cytosolic acidification was not observed, possibly because of other ionic exchanges. Recovery of cytosolic pH from an acid load (2 min exposure to 5% CO2) was sensitive to both 25 mM NO3- and to ouabain. The pH dependence of the nitrate effect was tested with media of different pH; the activity was negligible at cytosolic pH 6.2 and rose to a maximum at cytosolic pH 7.3. Treatment of hepatocytes with 0.5-1.0 mM ouabain resulted in an initial alkalinization (0.5-2 min duration) of the cytosol, followed by a spontaneous reversal and, on occasion, further acidification. The alkalinization was blocked by 25 mM NO3-, but not by 25 mM gluconate. The results suggest that the cytosolic alkalinization is caused by a stimulation of H+ uptake by V-ATPase activity. We conclude that V-ATPase make an important contribution to the regulation of the cytosolic pH of hepatocytes.