SUMMARY1. A weak electroneutral sodium channel blocker 6-chloro-3,5-diamino-pyrazine-2-carboxamide was used to perform noise analysis on isolated epithelium from Rana fuscigula to determine the cellular mechanism underlying autoregulation of Na+ channel densities in response to a reduction in the mucosal Na+ concentration.2. The inherent transport rates of these tissues were generally lower than in other frog skins. and to a lesser extent by an increase in NT, the total number of open and closed channels. 5. We also examined the role of the cytoskeleton in the regulation of Na+ channel densities. Colchicine treatment, which disrupted microtubules, had no apparent effect on the ability of the tissues to autoregulate their Na+ channel densities.6. The integrity of the microfilaments were essential for autoregulatory changes in No. After we had disrupted the microfilaments with cytochalasin B, we observed a marked reduction in the ability of the tissues to increase N0. 7. The mean No did not increase in response to a drop in mucosal Na+ despite the fact that /3' increased by 69 %. We, therefore, assumed that cytochalasin B did not affect Na+ channels already present in the membrane but interfered with recruitment of new channels. Significantly, we did not observe any increase in NT. 8. In kidney and other tight epithelia, microfilaments are responsible for regulating the delivery of newly synthesized membrane proteins. We believe that our results with cytochalasin-treated tissues support the theory that autoregulatory changes in N0 are also regulated by the recruitment of channels from a cytoplasmic pool.

SUMMARY1. The electrical parameters of the sodium-transporting cells in frog skin of Rana angolensis were determined under control conditions by using the micro-electrode technique. The data were analysed in terms of an electrical model (Helman, 1979 also to reduce the resistance of the apical barrier, although it concurrently also caused the El to decrease by about 1300.6. Theophylline increased the IS, by reducing the resistance of the apical barrier by an average 61 %, with little or no effect on the other parameters. Theophylline augmented the effect of cyclic AMP. 8. Our results are consistent with the theory that cyclic AMP is a second messenger in hormonal control of active sodium transport in frog skin.

A modified cytochemical technique with 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate as substrate, was used to examine the distribution of adenylate cyclase in cells comprising the transepithelial Na+ transport pathway in isolated frog skin epithelium. Particular attention was paid to the effects of fixation on the activity and localization of adenylate cyclase. Fixation in glutaraldehyde alone or in combination with paraformaldehyde reduced the amount of reaction product, while better results were obtained using unfixed tissues. Optimum results were obtained following stimulation of adenylate cyclase with forskolin and in the presence of specific metabolic inhibitors. Adenylate cyclase was localized in the basolateral membranes of the principal cells which constitute a functional syncytium for Na+ transport and was absent from the apical membranes of the outermost granulosum cells. This distribution is consistent with the transepithelial Na+ transport model and defines the functional morphology of the cells involved in Na+ transport across frog skin. The results are compatible with the process of Na+ re-absorption across other epithelial cells, verifying that frog skin is a convenient model-tissue to study Na+ transport mechanisms. Adenylate cyclase was also found in membranes of the mitochondria-rich cells, a minor and parallel Na+ transporting pathway.