Bicarbonate secretion and acid/base sensing by the intestine
- Resource Type
- Review Paper
- Authors
- Becker, Holger M.; Seidler, Ursula E.
- Source
- Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology: Official Journal of the German Physiological Society. 476(4):593-610
- Subject
- CFTR
SLC26a3
SLC26a6
Sodium bicarbonate cotransporter
Intestine
Colon
Cystic fibrosis
Congenital chloride diarrhea
Inflammatory bowel disease
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0031-6768
1432-2013
The transport of bicarbonate across the enterocyte cell membrane regulates the intracellular as well as the luminal pH and is an essential part of directional fluid movement in the gut. Since the first description of “active” transport of HCO3− ions against a concentration gradient in the 1970s, the fundamental role of HCO3− transport for multiple intestinal functions has been recognized. The ion transport proteins have been identified and molecularly characterized, and knockout mouse models have given insight into their individual role in a variety of functions. This review describes the progress made in the last decade regarding novel techniques and new findings in the molecular regulation of intestinal HCO3− transport in the different segments of the gut. We discuss human diseases with defects in intestinal HCO3− secretion and potential treatment strategies to increase luminal alkalinity. In the last part of the review, the cellular and organismal mechanisms for acid/base sensing in the intestinal tract are highlighted.