Chloride transport across placental microvillous membranes measured by fluorescence

Chloride transport across human placental microvillous vesicle membrane was investigated using the fluorescent probe SPQ (6-methoxy-N3-sulfopropylquinolinium). Chloride influx (JCl) was calculated from the initial rate of quenching of intravesicular SPQ fluorescence by chloride. JCl measured by SPQ fluorescence was not significantly different from JCl measured by uptake of 36Cl; SPQ did not affect measurements of JCl.JCl was increased 51% by a 58-mV membrane potential (internal positive). Voltage-stimulated JCl showed a saturable dependence on chloride concentration with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 18 +/- 5 mM and was inhibited by diphenylamine-2-carboxylate with an apparent inhibitory constant of 0.13 +/- 0.03 mM. The activation energy calculated for voltage-stimulated JCl was 4.6 +/- 0.6 kcal/mol. JCl was also stimulated by a reduction in the external pH from 7.0 to 5.5 (internal pH = 7.0). pH-stimulated chloride influx was increased by trans-HCO3 (25 mM) and was inhibited by dihydro-4,4'-diisothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene. Uptake of 36Cl into microvillous vesicles was stimulated by trans-Cl. pH-stimulated JCl showed a saturable dependence on chloride with a Kd of 38 +/- 6 mM but was not affected by membrane potential. No evidence was found for Na- or K-coupled chloride cotransport. These findings demonstrate the presence of a saturable chloride conductance and an electroneutral chloride-bicarbonate exchanger in the placental microvillous membrane.