Ion-selective microelectrodes to study proton and bicarbonate transport in the renal epithelium.

We have developed several kinds of ISM, and obtained valuable information. The method presented provides (1) the data in situ, and (2) simultaneous data of the membrane potential and the selected ionic activities. Both of these give the driving forces for ion fluxes across the individual membrane border. They provide not only the knowledge of ionic status in minute spaces but also the relationship between different ionic species which are measured simultaneously in the living cell. Further information could also be available by employing this ISM method in combination with the relevant techniques, such as patch-clamp and fluorescent dye techniques.