Bone lengthening during skeletal growth is driven primarily by the controlled enlargement of growth plate (GP) chondrocytes. The cellular mechanisms are unclear but membrane transporters are probably involved. We investigated the role of the Na(+) /H(+) antiporter (NHE1) and anion exchanger (AE2) in bone lengthening and GP chondrocyte hypertrophy in Sprague-Dawley 7-day-old rat (P7) bone rudiments using the inhibitors EIPA (5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride) and DIDS (4,4-diidothiocyano-2,2-stilbenedisulphonate) respectively. We have also determined cell-associated levels of these transporters along the GP using fluorescent immunohistochemistry (FIHC). Culture of bones with EIPA or DIDS inhibited rudiment growth (50% at approx. 250µM and 25µM respectively). Both decreased the size of the hypertrophic zone (
