Microelectrode study of insulin effect on apical and basolateral cell membrane of frog skin: comparison with the effect of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine-vasopressin (dDAVP).

The standard microelectrode technique was used to electrophysiologically characterize the effect of insulin on both apical and basolateral cell membranes of the frog skin, a model Na-transporting epithelium. Insulin applied to the basolateral side of the epithelium stimulated the sodium transport as shown by both increased short-circuit current, Isc, (P less than 0.02) and transepithelial potential difference, Voc, (P less than 0.002). Potential difference across the apical cell membrane, Vo, decreased (P less than 0.002) as did the apical cell membrane resistance, Ro, (P less than 0.05). The driving force of sodium ions, ENa, increased after insulin (P less than 0.005). These findings confirm that insulin acts both to increase the apical cell membrane permeability for ions and to stimulate the sodium pump in the basolateral membrane. The effects of insulin were compared with those of a vasopressin analog (dDAVP), known to stimulate transepithelial sodium transport by increasing the permeability of the apical cell membrane for sodium ions. dDAVP applied at the height of insulin effect further stimulated transepithelial transport, but insulin applied at the height of dDAVP action did not. It is concluded that the direct stimulation of the sodium pump by insulin may not represent a decisive component in the stimulation of transepithelial transport across the frog skin. A more potent stimulus for sodium transport is obviously the increased permeability of the apical membrane for ions.