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Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

1. Extracellular pH (pHo) regulation within mouse colonic crypt lumens is stimulated by transepithelial gradients of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Current work assesses underlying mechanisms contributing to pHo regulation. 2. Crypt luminal alkalinization was saturable by apical SCFA (substrate concentration activating half-maximal transport (KT) of isobutyrate = 45 mM). However, saturation was consistent with either carrier-mediated SCFA flux or non-ionic diffusion, because the non-ionized form was titrated by luminal alkalinization. Direct acidification of apical perfusates increased the magnitude of SCFA-induced luminal alkalinization, roughly in the same proportion to the increased concentration of non-ionized SCFA in the crypt lumen. 3. Transepithelial gradients of an alternative weak acid (CO2) produce pHo changes similar to SCFA. In contrast, a weak base (NH3) changes pHo with reverse dependence on the orientation of the transepithelial gradient compared with SCFA. Results implicate non-ionic diffusion in pHo regulation, and suggest that pHo changes may underly SCFA-stimulated bicarbonate secretion and ammonium absorption. 4. SCFA metabolism plays a minor role in extracellular pH regulation. An avidly metabolized SCFA (N-butyrate) augments crypt luminal alkalinization only slightly (0.08 pH units) versus a poorly metabolized SCFA (isobutyrate). 5. Apical addition of 1 mM 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS) partially inhibits luminal alkalinization caused by apical SCFA. DIDS has no effect on luminal alkalinization caused by transepithelial CO2 gradients. Probenecid (1 mM), alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (4 mM) or basolateral DIDS (1 mM) do not affect pHo regulation. Results suggest that DIDS-sensitive, SCFA-dependent transport in the colonocyte apical membrane contributes to pHo regulation.