Amiloride impairs the cholinergic regulation of potassium permeability in the human sweat gland but not in the rat submandibular gland.

Potassium permeability was monitored in human sweat glands and rat submandibular glands. Acetylcholine increased permeability in both tissues and the responses consisted of transient, calcium-independent and sustained, calcium-dependent components. Amiloride, a drug which inhibits Na(+)-H+ countertransport, impaired the regulation of potassium permeability in sweat glands but not in the submandibular gland. It is suggested that the stimulus-permeability coupling process in the sweat gland may be sensitive to the lowering of internal pH.