Biocultural and social determinants of ill health and early mortality in a New Mexican paediatric autopsy sample.

RESULTS.: Hispanic children have higher odds of growth stunting than non-Hispanic White children. Native American children die younger and have higher odds of respiratory diseases and porous lesions than Hispanic and non-Hispanic Whites. Rural/urban location does not significantly impact age at death, but housing type does. Individuals who lived in trailers/mobile homes had earlier ages at death. When intersections between housing type and housing location are considered, children who were poor and from impoverished areas lived longer than those who were poor from relatively well-off areas. CONCLUSIONS.: Children's health is shaped by factors outside their control. The children included in this study embodied experiences of social and ELS and did not survive to adulthood. They provide the most sobering example of the harm that social factors (structural racism/discrimination, socioeconomic, and political structures) can inflict.

Skeletal manifestations of disease experience: Length of illness and porous cranial lesion formation in a contemporary juvenile mortality sample.

OBJECTIVES: Porous lesions of the orbit (cribra orbitalia [CO]) and cranial vault (porotic hyperostosis [PH]) are used as skeletal indicators of childhood stress. Because they are understudied in contemporary populations, their relationship to disease experience is poorly understood. This paper examines the relationship between length of childhood illness and CO/PH formation in a clinically documented sample. "Turning points," which identify the window for lesion formation for CO/PH, are defined, implications for hidden heterogeneity in frailty are considered. METHODS: Data are from 333 (199 males; 134 females) pediatric postmortem computed tomography scans. Individuals died in New Mexico (2011-2019) and are 0.5 to 15.99 years (mean = 7.1). Length of illness was estimated using information from autopsy and field reports. Logistic regression was used to estimate predicted probabilities, odds ratios, and the temporal window for lesion formation. RESULTS: Illness, single bouts, or cumulative episodes lasting over 1 month is associated with higher odds of CO; individuals who were never sick have lower odds of having PH. This relationship was consistent for fatal and incidental illnesses that did not cause death. The developmental window for CO formation appears to close at 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Those ill for over 1 month are more likely to have CO/PH than those with acute illnesses. Some individuals lived sufficiently long to form CO/PH but died of illness. Others with lesions died of circumstances unrelated to disease. This indicates hidden variation in robusticity even among ill individuals with CO/PH, which is vital in interpreting lesion frequencies in the archeological record.

Gene knockout of NHX-3 in the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans leads to broad-spectrum compensatory regulation of Na+/H+ exchangers, antiporters, and the V-type H+-ATPase.

Na+/H+ exchangers are directly involved in a variety of an animal's essential physiological processes such as ionoregulation, acid-base regulation, nitrogenous waste excretion, and nutrient absorption. While nine NHX isoforms have been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, the physiological importance of each isoform is not understood. The current study aimed to further our knowledge of NHX-3 which has previously been suggested to be involved in the movement of ammonia and acid-base equivalents across the nematode's hypodermis. Although NHX-3 knockout mutant nematodes exported H+ and imported Na+ at slower rates than wild-type nematodes, attempts to inhibit the NHX activity of mutant nematodes using amiloride and EIPA caused an unexpected increase in hypodermal H+ export and did not impact Na+ fluxes suggesting that the different H+ and Na+ transport profiles of the nematodes are likely due to compensatory changes in the mutants in response to the NHX-3 knockout, rather than the loss of NHX-3's physiological function. Significant changes in the mRNA expression of 7 other NHX isoforms, 2 Na+/H+ antiporter isoforms, and the V-type H+-ATPase were detected between wild-type and mutant nematodes. Furthermore, mutant nematodes possessed significantly reduced rates of cytochrome C oxidase activity and ammonia excretion rates, indicating the knockout of NHX-3 induced fundamental changes in metabolism that could impact the nematode's need to eliminate metabolic end-products like H+ and ammonia that relate to NHX transport. While C. elegans is a popular genetic model with cheap and accessible commercial mutants, our findings suggest caution in interpretation of results in studies using mutants to study physiological traits and the biological significance of specific transporters.

A perspective on insect water balance.

Insects have a large ratio of surface area to volume because of their small size; thus, they face the potential for desiccation in the terrestrial environment. Nonetheless, they constitute over half of identified species and their success on land can be attributed, in part, to adaptations that limit water loss and allow for effective gains of water from food, fluids or atmospheric water vapour. Reduction of water loss from the gut involves sophisticated mechanisms of ion recycling and water recovery by epithelia of the Malpighian tubules and hindgut. Water loss across the body surface is greatly reduced by the evolution of very thin but highly impermeable lipid-rich layers in the epicuticle. Respiratory water loss can be reduced through effective spiracular control mechanisms and by mechanisms for convective rather than diffusive gas exchange. In addition to extracting water from food sources, some insects are capable of absorption of atmospheric water vapour through processes that have evolved independently in multiple groups.

Blending physiology and RNAseq to provide new insights into regulation of epithelial transport: switching between ion secretion and reabsorption.

This Review addresses the means by which epithelia change the direction of vectorial ion transport. Recent studies have revealed that insect Malpighian (renal) tubules can switch from secreting to reabsorbing K+. When the gut of larval lepidopterans is empty (during the moult cycle) or when the larvae are reared on K+-deficient diet, the distal ileac plexus segment of the tubule secretes K+ from the haemolymph into the tubule lumen. By contrast, in larvae reared on K+-rich diet, ions and fluid are reabsorbed from the rectal lumen into the perinephric space surrounding the cryptonephridial tubules of the rectal complex. Ions and fluid are then transported from the perinephric space into the lumen of the cryptonephridial tubules, thus supplying the free segments of the tubule downstream. Under these conditions, some of the K+ and water in the tubule lumen is reabsorbed across the cells of the distal ileac plexus, allowing for expansion of haemolymph volume in the rapidly growing larvae, as well as recycling of K+ and base equivalents. RNA sequencing data reveal large-scale changes in gene transcription that are associated with the switch between ion secretion and ion reabsorption by the distal ileac plexus. An unexpected finding is the presence of voltage-gated, ligand-gated and mechanosensitive ion channels, normally seen in excitable cells, in Malpighian tubules. Transcriptomic surveys indicate that these types of channels are also present in multiple other types of vertebrate and invertebrate epithelia, suggesting that they may play novel roles in epithelial cell signalling and regulation of epithelial ion transport.

Vacuolar H+-ATPase and Na+/K+-ATPase energize Na+ uptake mechanisms in the nuchal organ of the hyperregulating freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna.

The nuchal organ of the embryos and neonates of the cladoceran, Daphnia magna, has been shown to be a site of Na+ influx and H+, NH4+ and Cl- efflux. This study combines the scanning ion-selective electrode technique with application of inhibitors of specific transporters to assess the mechanisms of Na+ transport across the nuchal organ. Na+ influx across the nuchal organ was inhibited both by inhibitors of the Na+/K+-ATPase (ouabain, bufalin) and by inhibitors of the vacuolar H+-ATPase (bafilomycin, N-ethylmaleimde, 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole, KM91104, S-nitrosoglutathione). Na+ influx was unaffected by the epithelial Na+ channel blocker benzamil, but was sensitive to ethylisopropyl amiloride and elevated external ammonium concentrations, consistent with roles for Na+/H+ and Na+/NH4+ exchangers in the apical membrane but not Na+ channels. Transport across the basolateral membrane into the haemolymph is proposed to involve the Na+/K+-ATPase and a thiazide-sensitive Na+/Cl- cotransporter.

Malpighian tubules of caterpillars: blending RNAseq and physiology to reveal regional functional diversity and novel epithelial ion transport control mechanisms.

The Malpighian tubules (MTs) and hindgut constitute the functional kidney of insects. MTs are outpouchings of the gut and in most insects demonstrate proximodistal heterogeneity in function. In most insects, such heterogeneity is confined to ion/fluid secretion in the distal portion and ion/fluid reabsorption in the proximal portion. In contrast, MTs of larval Lepidoptera (caterpillars of butterflies and moths) are composed of five regions that differ in their association with the gut, their structure and ion/fluid transport function. Recent studies have shown that several regions can rapidly and reversibly switch between ion secretion and reabsorption. The present study employed RNAseq, pharmacology and electrophysiology to characterize four distinct regions of the MT in larval Trichoplusia ni Luminal microelectrode measurements indicate changes in [K+], [Na+] and pH as fluid passes through different regions of the tubule. In addition, the regions examined differ in gene ontology enrichment, and demonstrate robust gradients in expression of ion transporters and endocrine ligand receptors. Lastly, the study provides evidence for direct involvement of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels in epithelial ion transport of insect MTs.

Water and ion transport across the eversible vesicles in the collophore of the springtail Orchesella cincta.

Springtails (Collembola) are ancient close relatives of the insects. The eversible vesicles are their unique paired transporting organs, which consist of an epithelium located inside a tube-like structure called the collophore on the first abdominal segment. The vesicles can be protruded out of the collophore and several lines of evidence indicate that they have a vital function in water uptake and ion balance. However, the amount of water absorbed by the vesicles and which other ions apart from Na+ are transported remain unknown. Using Orchesella cincta as a model, we developed protocols for two assays that enabled us to study water and ion movement across the eversible vesicles in whole living springtails. Using an inverse Ramsay assay we demonstrate that the eversible vesicles absorb water from a droplet applied onto their surface. Using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET), we show that the vesicles absorb Na+ and Cl- from the bathing medium, secrete NH4+, and both absorb and secrete K+ H+ is secreted at a low level in the anterior part and absorbed at the posterior part. We did not detect transport of Ca2+ at significant levels. The highest flux was the absorption of Cl-, and the magnitude of ion fluxes was significantly lower in fully hydrated springtails. Our data demonstrate that the eversible vesicles are a transporting epithelium functioning in osmo- and ionoregulation, nitrogenous waste excretion and probably also acid-base balance.

Section-specific H+ flux in renal tubules of fasted and fed goldfish.

A recent study demonstrated that in response to a feeding-induced metabolic acidosis, goldfish (Carassius auratus) adjust epithelial protein and/or mRNA expression in their kidney tubules for multiple transporters known to be relevant for acid-base regulation. These include Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE), V-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase), cytoplasmic carbonic anhydrase, HCO3- transporters and Rhesus proteins. Consequently, renal acid output in the form of protons and NH4+ increases. However, little is known about the mechanistic details of renal acid-base regulation in C. auratus and teleost fishes in general. The present study applied the scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET) to measure proton flux in proximal, distal and connecting tubules of goldfish. We detected increased H+ efflux into the extracellular fluid from the tubule in fed animals, resulting from paracellular back-flux of H+ through the tight junction. By applying inhibitors for selected acid-base regulatory epithelial transporters, we found that cytosolic carbonic anhydrase and HCO3- transporters were important in mediating H+ flux in all three tubule segments of fed goldfish. Contrastingly, V-ATPase seemed to play a role in H+ flux only in proximal and distal tubules, and NHE in proximal and connecting tubules. We developed working models for transport of acid-base relevant equivalents (H+, HCO3-, NH3/NH4+) for each tubule segment in C. auratus kidney. While the proximal tubule appears to play a major role in both H+ secretion and HCO3- reabsorption, the distal and connecting tubules seem to mainly serve for HCO3- reabsorption and NH3/NH4+ secretion.

Septate junction in the distal ileac plexus of larval lepidopteran Trichoplusia ni: alterations in paracellular permeability during ion transport reversal.

The Malpighian tubules (MTs) and hindgut together act as the functional kidney in insects. MTs of caterpillars are notably complex and consist of several regions that display prominent differences in ion transport. The distal ileac plexus (DIP) is a region of MT that is of particular interest because it switches from ion secretion to ion reabsorption in larvae fed on ion-rich diets. The pathways of solute transport in the DIP are not well understood, but one potential route is the paracellular pathway between epithelial cells. This pathway is regulated by the septate junctions (SJs) in invertebrates, and in this study, we found regional and cellular heterogeneity in the expression of several integral SJ proteins. DIP of larvae fed ion-rich diets demonstrated a reduction in paracellular permeability, coupled with alterations in both SJ morphology and the abundance of its molecular components. Similarly, treatment in vitro with helicokinin (HK), an antidiuretic hormone identified by previous studies, altered mRNA abundance of many SJ proteins and reduced paracellular permeability. HK was also shown to target a secondary cell-specific SJ protein, Tsp2A. Taken together, our data suggest that dietary ion loading, known to cause ion transport reversal in the DIP of larval Trichoplusiani, leads to alterations in paracellular permeability, SJ morphology and the abundance of its molecular components. The results suggest that HK is an important endocrine factor that co-regulates ion transport, water transport and paracellular permeability in MTs of larval lepidopterans. We propose that co-regulation of all three components of the MT function in larval lepidopterans allows for safe toggling between ion secretion and reabsorption in the DIP in response to variations in dietary ion availability.

Helicokinin alters ion transport in the secondary cell-containing region of the Malpighian tubule of the larval cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni.

Excretion in insects is accomplished by the combined actions of the Malpighian tubules (MTs) and hindgut, which together form the functional kidney. MTs of many insect groups consist of principal cells (PC) and secondary cells (SC). In most insect groups SCs are reported to secrete ions from haemolymph into the tubule lumen. Paradoxically, SCs in the MTs of the lepidopteran cabbage looper T. ni are used to reabsorb Na+ and K+ back into haemolymph. The current study was designed to investigate the effects and mode of action of the lepidopteran kinin, Helicokinin (HK), on ion transport in the SC-containing region of MT of T. ni. We identified a HK receptor (HK-R) homologue in T. ni and detected its expression in the SC-containing region of the MTs. The mRNA abundance of hk-r altered in response to changes in dietary K+ and Na+ content. HK-R immunolocalized to both PCs and SCs. Ramsay assays of preparations of the isolated distal ileac plexus (DIP) indicated that [HK] = 10-8 M: (i) decreased fluid secretion rate in unstimulated and serotonin-stimulated preparations, and (ii) increased [Na+]/[K+] ratio in the secreted fluid. Scanning ion-selective electrode technique measurements revealed that HK reduced: (i) K+ secretion by the PCs, and (ii) Na+ reabsorption by the SCs in intact tubules. In vitro incubation of the DIP with HK resulted in reduced mRNA abundance of hk-r as well as Na+/K+-ATPase subunit α (NKAα), Na+/K+/Cl- co-transporter (nkcc), Na+/H+ exchangers (nhe) 7 and 8, and aquaporin (aqp) 1. Taken together, results of the current study suggest that HK is capable of altering fluid secretion rate and [Na+]/[K+] ratio of the fluid, and that HK targets both PCs and SCs in the DIP of T. ni.

Malpighian tubules of Trichoplusia ni: recycling ions via gap junctions and switching between secretion and reabsorption of Na+ and K+ in the distal ileac plexus.

The functional kidney in insects consists of the Malpighian tubules and hindgut. Malpighian tubules secrete ions and fluid aiding in hydromineral homeostasis, acid-base balance and metabolic waste excretion. In many insects, including lepidopterans, the Malpighian tubule epithelium consists of principal cells (PCs) and secondary cells (SCs). The SCs in the Malpighian tubules of larvae of the lepidopteran Trichoplusia ni have been shown to reabsorb K+, transporting it in a direction opposite to that in the neighbouring PCs that secrete K+ One of the mechanisms that could enable such an arrangement is a gap junction (GJ)-based coupling of the two cell types. In the current study, we have immunolocalized GJ protein Innexin-2 to the PC-PC and SC-PC cell-cell borders. We have demonstrated that GJs in the SC-containing region of the Malpighian tubules enable Na+ and K+ reabsorption by the SCs. We also demonstrated that in ion-loaded animals, PCs switch from Na+/K+ secretion to reabsorption, resulting in an ion-transporting phenotype similar to that of tubules with pharmacologically blocked GJs. Concomitantly, mRNA abundance encoding GJ proteins was downregulated. Finally, we observed that such PC-based reabsorption was only present in the distal ileac plexus connected to the rectal complex. We propose that this plasticity in the PC function in the distal ileac plexus is likely to be aimed at providing an ion supply for the SC function in this segment of the tubule.

The gastric caecum of larval Aedes aegypti: stimulation of epithelial ion transport by 5-hydroxytryptamine and cAMP.

We report measurements of ion transport across the gastric caecum of larvae of Aedes aegypti, a vector of yellow fever that inhabits a variety of aquatic habitats ranging from freshwater to brackish water. We provide the first measurements of the effect of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on transepithelial potential (TEP), luminal ion concentrations and electrochemical potentials, as well as basolateral membrane potential and H+, Na+ and K+ fluxes. TEP, basolateral membrane potential, and H+, K+ and Na+ fluxes across the gastric caeca declined within 3-6 min after isolation of the entire midgut from the larva. 5-HT restored both the TEP and active accumulation of H+, K+ and Na+ in the lumen. Additionally, 5-HT restored H+, K+ and Na+ fluxes across the distal caecum of freshwater larvae, and restored H+ fluxes across the distal caecum of brackish water larvae. There was no effect of 5-HT on ion fluxes across the proximal caecum. We have also shown that 5-HT restores the basolateral membrane potential in cells of the distal, but not proximal, caecum. Effects of 5-HT on TEP and basolateral membrane potential were mimicked by application of cAMP but not by a phorbol ester. We provide a working model which proposes that 5-HT and cAMP stimulate the vacuolar H+-ATPase of the distal caecum. Our results provide evidence that the gastric caecum is functionally distinct from the adjacent anterior midgut and we discuss possible roles of the gastric caecum in osmoregulation. We also describe similarities in the arrangement of ion transporters in the caecum with those of the Malpighian tubules.

Mechanisms of calcium sequestration by isolated Malpighian tubules of the house cricket Acheta domesticus.

Hemolymph calcium homeostasis in insects is achieved by the Malpighian tubules, primarily by sequestering excess Ca2+ within internal calcium stores (Ca-rich granules) most often located within type I (principal) tubule cells. Using both the scanning ion-selective electrode technique and the Ramsay secretion assay this study provides the first measurements of basolateral and transepithelial Ca2+ fluxes across the Malpighian tubules of an Orthopteran insect, the house cricket Acheta domesticus. Ca2+ transport was specific to midtubule segments, where 97% of the Ca2+ entering the tubule is sequestered within intracellular calcium stores and the remaining 3% is secreted into the lumen. Antagonists of voltage-gated (L-type) calcium channels decreased Ca2+ influx ≥fivefold in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-stimulated tubules, suggesting basolateral Ca2+ influx is facilitated by voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Increasing fluid secretion through manipulation of intracellular levels of cAMP or Ca2+ had opposite effects on tubule Ca2+ transport. The adenylyl cyclase-cAMP-PKA pathway promotes Ca2+ sequestration whereas both 5-hydroxytryptamine and thapsigargin inhibited sequestration. Our results suggest that the midtubules of Acheta domesticus are dynamic calcium stores, which maintain hemolymph calcium concentration by manipulating rates of Ca2+ sequestration through stimulatory (cAMP) and inhibitory (Ca2+ ) regulatory pathways.

Effects of rearing salinity on expression and function of ion-motive ATPases and ion transport across the gastric caecum of Aedes aegypti larvae.

Larvae of Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever vector, inhabit a variety of aquatic habitats ranging from freshwater to brackish water. This study focuses on the gastric caecum of the larvae, an organ that has not been widely studied. We provide the first measurements of H+, K+ and Na+ fluxes at the distal and proximal gastric caecum, and have shown that they differ in the two regions, consistent with previously reported regionalization of ion transporters. Moreover, we have shown that the regionalization of vacuolar H+-ATPase and Na+/K+-ATPase is altered when larvae are reared in brackish water (30% seawater) relative to freshwater. Measurements of luminal Na+ and K+ concentrations also show a 5-fold increase in Na+/K+ ratio in the caecal lumen in larvae reared in brackish water relative to freshwater, whereas transepithelial potential and luminal pH were unchanged. Calculated electrochemical potentials reveal changes in the active accumulation of Na+ and K+ in the lumen of the gastric caecum of freshwater versus brackish water larvae. Together with the results of previous studies of the larval midgut, our results show that the caecum is functionally distinct from the adjacent anterior midgut, and may play an important role in osmoregulation as well as uptake of nutrients.

The orphan pentameric ligand-gated ion channel pHCl-2 is gated by pH and regulates fluid secretion in Drosophila Malpighian tubules.

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) constitute a large protein superfamily in metazoa whose role as neurotransmitter receptors mediating rapid, ionotropic synaptic transmission has been extensively studied. Although the vast majority of pLGICs appear to be neurotransmitter receptors, the identification of pLGICs in non-neuronal tissues and homologous pLGIC-like proteins in prokaryotes points to biological functions, possibly ancestral, that are independent of neuronal signalling. Here, we report the molecular and physiological characterization of a highly divergent, orphan pLGIC subunit encoded by the pHCl-2 (CG11340) gene, in Drosophila melanogaster We show that pHCl-2 forms a channel that is insensitive to a wide array of neurotransmitters, but is instead gated by changes in extracellular pH. pHCl-2 is expressed in the Malpighian tubules, which are non-innervated renal-type secretory tissues. We demonstrate that pHCl-2 is localized to the apical membrane of the epithelial principal cells of the tubules and that loss of pHCl-2 reduces urine production during diuresis. Our data implicate pHCl-2 as an important source of chloride conductance required for proper urine production, highlighting a novel role for pLGICs in epithelial tissues regulating fluid secretion and osmotic homeostasis.

Ammonia excretion in Caenorhabditis elegans: Physiological and molecular characterization of the rhr-2 knock-out mutant.

Previous studies have shown the free living soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (N2 strain) to be ammonotelic. Ammonia excretion was suggested to take place partially via the hypodermis, involving the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA), V-ATPase (VAT), carbonic anhydrase, NHX-3 and a functional microtubule network and at least one Rh-like ammonia transporter RHR-1. In the current study, we show that a second Rh-protein, RHR-2, is highly expressed in the hypodermis, here also in the apical membrane of that tissue. To further characterize the role of RHR-2 in ammonia excretion, a knock-out mutant rhr-2 (ok403), further referred to as ∆rhr-2, was employed. Compared to wild-type worms (N2), this mutant showed a lower rate of ammonia excretion and a lower hypodermal H(+) excretion rate. At the same time rhr-1, nka, vat, and nhx-3 showed higher mRNA expression levels when compared to N2. Also, in contrast to N2 worms, ∆rhr-2 did not show enhanced ammonia excretion rates when exposed to a low pH environment, suggesting that RHR-2 represents the apical NH3 pathway that allows ammonia trapping via the hypodermis in N2 worms. A hypothetical model for the mechanism of hypodermal ammonia excretion is proposed on the basis of data in this and previous investigations.

The rectal complex and Malpighian tubules of the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni): regional variations in Na+ and K+ transport and cation reabsorption by secondary cells.

In larvae of most Lepidoptera the distal ends of the Malpighian tubules are closely applied to the rectal epithelia and are ensheathed within the perinephric membrane, thus forming the rectal complex. The cryptonephric Malpighian tubules within the rectal complex are bathed in fluid within a functional compartment, the perinephric space, which is separate from the haemolymph. In this study, the scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET) was used to measure transport of Na(+) and K(+) across the rectal complex and across multiple regions of the Malpighian tubules of larvae of the cabbage looper Trichoplusia ni. Measurements were made in an intact preparation in which connections of the tubules upstream to the rectal complex and downstream to the urinary bladder and gut remained intact. SIET measurements revealed reabsorption of Na(+) and K(+) across the intact rectal complex and into the bath (haemolymph), with K(+) fluxes approximately twice as large as those of Na(+). Analyses of fluxes in larvae with empty guts, found in recently moulted larvae, versus those with full guts highlighted differences in the rates of K(+) or Na(+) transport within tubule regions that appeared morphologically homogeneous, such as the rectal lead. The distal rectal lead of larvae with empty guts reabsorbed K(+), whereas the same region secreted K(+) in tubules of larvae with full guts. SIET measurements of the ileac plexus also indicated a novel role for secondary (type II) cells in cation reabsorption. Secondary cells reabsorb K(+), whereas the adjacent principal (type I) cells secrete K(+). Na(+) is reabsorbed by both principal and secondary cells, but the rate of reabsorption by the secondary cells is approximately twice the rate in the adjacent principal cells.

Localization of K⁺, H⁺, Na⁺ and Ca²âº fluxes to the excretory pore in Caenorhabditis elegans: application of scanning ion-selective microelectrodes.

Although Caenorhabditis elegans is commonly used as a model organism for studies of cell biology, development and physiology, the small size of the worm has impeded measurements of ion transport by the excretory cell and hypodermis. Here, we use the scanning ion-selective microelectrode technique to measure efflux and influx of K(+), H(+), Na(+) and Ca(2+) in intact worms. Transport of ions into, or out of, immobilized worms produces small gradients in ion concentration in the unstirred layer near the surface of the worm. These gradients are readily detectable with ion-selective microelectrodes and the corresponding ion fluxes can be estimated using the Fick equation. Our data show that effluxes of K(+), H(+), Na(+) and Ca(2+) are localized to the region of the excretory pore, consistent with release of these ions from the excretory cell, and that effluxes increase after experimental preloading with Na(+), K(+) or Ca(2+). In addition, the hypodermis is a site of Na(+) influx.

Effects of diuretic hormone 31, drosokinin, and allatostatin A on transepithelial K⁺ transport and contraction frequency in the midgut and hindgut of larval Drosophila melanogaster.

Recent studies have identified paracrine and endocrine cells in the midgut of larval Drosophila melanogaster as well as midgut and hindgut receptors for multiple neuropeptides implicated in the control of fluid and ion balance. Although the effects of diuretic factors on fluid secretion by isolated Malpighian tubules of D. melanogaster have been examined extensively, relatively little is known about the effects of such factors on gut peristalsis or ion transport across the gut. We have measured the effects of diuretic hormone 31 (DH31), drosokinin and allatostatin A (AST-A) on both K(+) transport and muscle contraction frequency in the isolated gut of larval D. melanogaster. K(+) absorption across the gut was measured using K(+) -selective microelectrodes and the scanning ion-selective electrode technique. Allatostatin A (AST-A; 1 µM) increased K(+) absorption across the anterior midgut but reduced K(+) absorption across the copper cells and large flat cells of the middle midgut. AST-A strongly inhibited gut contractions in the anterior midgut but had no effect on contractions of the pyloric sphincter induced by proctolin. DH31 (1 µM) increased the contraction frequency in the anterior midgut, but had no effect on K(+) flux across the anterior, middle, or posterior midgut or across the ileum. Drosokinin (1 µM) did not affect either contraction frequency or K(+) flux across any of the gut regions examined. Possible functions of AST-A, DH31, and drosokinin in regulating midgut physiology are discussed.