Mechanism of bicarbonate absorption and its relationship to sodium transport in the human jejunum.

Using a constant perfusion technique, sodium and bicarbonate absorption was studied in human subjects. The following observations were made on sodium absorption from saline solution: (a) the rate of sodium absorption is markedly influenced by bulk water flow, (b) when net water flow is zero, sodium absorption is zero if there are no concentration gradients between plasma and lumen that favor net NaCl diffusion; and (c) the PD between abraded skin and jejunal lumen is near zero when saline is perfused and does not change with partial substitution of sulfate or bicarbonate for chloride. Based on these observations, we conclude that sodium absorption from saline is entirely passive in the human jejunum. On the other hand, in the presence of bicarbonate sodium is absorbed actively against electrochemical gradients. The mechanism of the link between bicarbonate and sodium absorption was studied in normal subjects and in 11 patients with pernicious anemia; the latter were chosen because they do not secrete gastric acid which can react with bicarbonate in the jejunal lumen. We observed that bicarbonate absorption (a) occurs against steep electrochemical gradients, (b) does not generate a potential difference between abraded skin and jejunal lumen, (c) is inhibited by acetazolamide, and (d) generates a high CO2 tension in jejunal fluid. These observations suggest that bicarbonate absorption is mediated by active hydrogen secretion, rather than by bicarbonate ion transport per se, and that the link between sodium and bicarbonate transport is best explained by a sodium-hydrogen exchange process.