Inner ear fluids and cerebrospinal fluid show remarkably stable ionic concentrations, particularly that of K(+) and H(+), but the mechanisms which control the homeostasis of these media are not well understood. We investigated a possible role of the gastric H, K-ATPase (gH,K-ATPase) pump in this control since this pump is known to be expressed in other tissues than gastric parietal cells. Here, we show by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction that the rat gH,K-ATPase alpha- and beta-subunits are expressed in the inner ear (lateral wall, organ of Corti and spiral ganglion cells), while only the alpha-subunit is expressed in the choroid plexus (CP). The presence of the alpha-subunit in the inner ear and CP was confirmed by immunoblotting. Immunohistochemistry localized this protein in the intermediate cells of the stria vascularis, in the spiral ligament and the spiral ganglion. gH,K-ATPase could be involved in the maintenance of H(+) and K(+) equilibria in cerebrospinal and labyrinthine fluids.