Swelling-activated K fluxes in vascular endothelial cells: volume regulation via K-Cl cotransport and K channels.

K efflux pathways responsible for regulatory volume decrease (RVD) were examined in bovine aortic endothelial cells. Hypotonic swelling produced a rapid and reversible threefold increase in bumetanide-insensitive 86Rb efflux. Swelling-activated 86Rb efflux was inhibited 43% when Cl was replaced with NO3, and this Cl-dependent efflux was inhibited by 1 mM furosemide. Neither Cl replacement nor furosemide inhibited the efflux stimulated by a Ca ionophore (A23187) in isotonic medium. Swelling-activated 86Rb efflux was also inhibited by 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate but not by dinitrostilbenedisulfonate. Cell swelling induced a volume-regulatory K loss that was incomplete in hypotonic medium but complete and more rapid when bumetanide was added or when cells were swollen isosmotically. K loss in the presence of bumetanide was partially blocked by furosemide. We conclude that two separate swelling-activated K fluxes mediate RVD in aortic endothelial cells: a Cl-dependent, furosemide-sensitive, but bumetanide-insensitive flux that is consistent with K-Cl cotransport, and a Cl-independent efflux that presumably is mediated by K channels.