NMR studies of phosphate metabolism in the isolated perfused kidney of developing rats

Phosphate Transport in Epithelial and Nonepithelial Tissue

Phosphate is an essential nutrient for life and is a critical component of bone formation, a major signaling molecule, and structural component of cell walls. Phosphate is also a component of high-energy compounds (i.e., AMP, ADP, and ATP) and essential for nucleic acid helical structure (i.e., RNA and DNA). Phosphate plays a central role in the process of mineralization, normal serum levels being associated with appropriate bone mineralization, while high and low serum levels are associated with soft tissue calcification. The serum concentration of phosphate and the total body content of phosphate are highly regulated, a process that is accomplished by the coordinated effort of two families of sodium-dependent transporter proteins. The three isoforms of the SLC34 family (SLC34A1-A3) show very restricted tissue expression and regulate intestinal absorption and renal excretion of phosphate. SLC34A2 also regulates the phosphate concentration in multiple lumen fluids including milk, saliva, pancreatic fluid, and surfactant. Both isoforms of the SLC20 family exhibit ubiquitous expression (with some variation as to which one or both are expressed), are regulated by ambient phosphate, and likely serve the phosphate needs of the individual cell. These proteins exhibit similarities to phosphate transporters in nonmammalian organisms. The proteins are nonredundant as mutations in each yield unique clinical presentations. Further research is essential to understand the function, regulation, and coordination of the various phosphate transporters, both the ones described in this review and the phosphate transporters involved in intracellular transport.

NMR-visible intracellular P(i) and phosphoesters during regulation of Na(+)-P(i) cotransport in opossum kidney cells

There is an inverse relationship between intracellular concentration of P(i) ([P(i)]i) in the kidney and maximum velocity (Vmax) of Na(+)-P(i) cotransport in brush-border membrane vesicles both in P(i)-deprived and growing animals. However, at any given [P(i)]i, the Vmax is substantially higher in growing than in P(i)-deprived animals. This suggests that growth and P(i) depletion act on P(i) transport via different mechanisms. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the nuclear magnetic resonance-visible phosphate and the Vmax of Na(+)-P(i) cotransport in proximal tubule-like cells [opossum kidney (OK) cells] cultured in vitro. OK cells incubated in 1 mM extracellular P(i) had a [P(i)]i of 1.1 +/- 0.2 mM and a P(i) uptake of 1.47 +/- 0.06 nmol/mg in 5 min. Exposure of OK cells to P(i)-free medium decreased [P(i)]i by 80 +/- 7% (P < 0.01) and stimulated P(i) transport by 34 +/- 7% (P < 0.05). Exposure of OK cells to 10(-8) M insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) increased P(i) transport by 25 +/- 8% (P < 0.05) but did not affect [P(i)]i. The stimulation of Vmax produced by IGF-I was additive to that due to P(i) restriction. In addition, P(i) deprivation decreased the phosphomonoesters by 0.66 +/- 0.04-fold (P < 0.05) and increased the phosphodiesters by 2.5 +/- 0.5-fold (P < 0.01). Treatment with IGF-I increased both the phosphomonoesters (1.2 +/- 0.1-fold) and the phosphodiesters (4.1 +/- 0.6-fold). These results support the assumption that low P(i) supply and IGF-I stimulate Na(+)-P(i) cotransport by independent mechanisms.

Role of intracellular phosphate in the regulation of renal phosphate transport during development

Direct correlations have been observed between the renal intracellular concentration of phosphate ([Pi]i) and postnatal age (3-13 weeks in rats, 1-4 weeks in guinea pigs), as well as between the dietary supply of Pi and [Pi]i. In turn, [Pi]i was found to be inversely correlated with the renal tubular transport of phosphate (TRPi). However, age- and diet-related differences in [Pi]i alone do not explain the high capacity of Na(+)-Pi cotransport present in the kidney of the neonate. Therefore, we explored whether changes in TRPi induced by altering Pi demand (whole body growth or bone mineralization) are mediated by factors other than changes in [Pi]i. TRPi was measured in vivo and nuclear magnetic resonance-visible [Pi]i in perfused kidneys of 8-week-old genetically growth hormone (GH)-deficient and GH-treated dwarf rats and in 8-week-old thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats treated or untreated with etidronate (EHDP), an inhibitor of bone mineralization. In dwarf rats, [Pi]i was 1.2 +/- 0.2 mM and TRPi 2.4 +/- 0.2 mumol/ml glomerular filtrate. In TPTX SD rats, [Pi]i was 1.6 +/- 0.2 mM and TRPi 4.2 +/- 0.3 mumol/ml glomerular filtrate. Administration of GH to dwarf rats resulted in increases in Pi transport of 38% +/- 8% (P < 0.05), while administration of EHDP to TPTX SD rats decreased TRPi by 52% +/- 7% (P < 0.05). Neither GH nor EHDP significantly affected [Pi]i. Thus, in the rat changes in TRPi due to alterations in Pi demand occur in the absence of significant changes in [Pi]i.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)