Induction of system A amino acid transport activity through long-term treatment with ouabain: possible correlation with enhanced (Na+/K+)ATPase activity

Mouse embryo fibroblast cells (C3H-10T1/2) and the methylcholanthrene-transformed derivative (MCA-10T1/2) were treated with basal modified Eagles medium at varying ouabain concentrations ranging from 0.05 mM to 0.5 mM for 16 h in culture. After replacing the ouabain-containing medium with BME, System A (3H-AlB uptake) and the (Na+/K+)ATPase pump activity (ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ uptake) was increased 10-fold and 3-fold, respectively (at 0.4 mM ouabain) in confluent C3H-10T1/2 cells. System A and the (Na+/K+)ATPase activity was increased 15-fold and 5-fold, respectively in confluent MCA-10T1/2 cells but the increase was maximal at 0.2 mM ouabain. This treatment with ouabain increased the [Na+]/sub i//[K+]/sub i/ as measured by atomic absorption, and thereby decreased the Na+ and K+ electrochemical gradients. Their data show that the transformed cells were more sensitive to the internal ion inversion by ouabain than the C3H-10T1/2 cells. It appears, from data on hypertonicity and lipophilic cations that neither the chemical Na+ gradient nor the negative membrane potential are the primary driving forces of System A transport