Quantitative histochemistry of the nephron. VII. Various phosphatases in the healthy human kidney

Ammonia Transporters and Their Role in Acid-Base Balance

Acid-base homeostasis is critical to maintenance of normal health. Renal ammonia excretion is the quantitatively predominant component of renal net acid excretion, both under basal conditions and in response to acid-base disturbances. Although titratable acid excretion also contributes to renal net acid excretion, the quantitative contribution of titratable acid excretion is less than that of ammonia under basal conditions and is only a minor component of the adaptive response to acid-base disturbances. In contrast to other urinary solutes, ammonia is produced in the kidney and then is selectively transported either into the urine or the renal vein. The proportion of ammonia that the kidney produces that is excreted in the urine varies dramatically in response to physiological stimuli, and only urinary ammonia excretion contributes to acid-base homeostasis. As a result, selective and regulated renal ammonia transport by renal epithelial cells is central to acid-base homeostasis. Both molecular forms of ammonia, NH₃ and NH₄⁺, are transported by specific proteins, and regulation of these transport processes determines the eventual fate of the ammonia produced. In this review, we discuss these issues, and then discuss in detail the specific proteins involved in renal epithelial cell ammonia transport.

Expression of intestinal alkaline phosphatase in human organs

Human intestinal alkaline phosphatase was immunohistochemically identified and localized in the pancreas, liver and kidney by use of a monoclonal antibody specific for intestinal alkaline phosphatase isozyme and by amplified biotin-streptavidin staining. In all the examined organs, the intestinal isozyme was found to be localized in the epithelial cells of ducts: bile ducts in the liver, distal convoluted tubules and collecting tubules in the kidney and ducts in the secretory epithelium in the pancreas. In the liver the antibody also stained some sinus-lining cells. In all the examined organs the endothelial cells of the capillaries and some vessels were stained. By use of immunoelectron microscopy, intestinal alkaline phosphatase was, as expected, found to be localized to the microvillar region of the small intestine. The isozyme was abundantly expressed in the apical area of the microvilli and in membrane remnants in the fuzzy coat. Capillaries and vessels in the submucosa were also stained, as well as small vesicles in the endothelial cells. The present investigation demonstrates the expression and localization of the intestinal alkaline phosphatase in several organs, though previously believed to be expressed only in the intestine.

Effect of sodium tetrathionate on the activities of some enzymes in kidney and urine

The activities of lactate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, beta-galactosidase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase in renal tissue and urine of rats treated with sodium tetrathionate were determined. A decrease of enzyme activities in renal tissue and an increase in urine were observed. The largest decrease in the glutamate dehydrogenase of renal tissue amounted to 0.7 times the control value, and was correlated with an appropriate increase in the urine. Increases in urinary enzyme activity were especially marked for beta-galactosidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (3 and 6 times the control values, respectively). The increase in enzyme activities was not accompanied by a corresponding change in the urinary protein. Characterization of urinary lactate dehydrogenase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase isoenzymes also indicates the renal origin of these enzymes. The abnormally high enzyme activities of the urine correlated with the nature and degree of renal damage shown by electron microscopy.

Biochemical and histochemical studies on non-specific phosphomonoesterases of swine kidney worm Stephanurus dentatus (Diesing, 1839)

Biochemical and histochemical studies have been made on non-specific acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterases of S. dentatus. The two forms of acid phosphomonoesterases have been found active at pH 4.0 and 6.0. The pH optima for the two forms of aklaline phosphomonoesterases lie at 8.0 and 10.0. Studies on the distribution of acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterases in various tissues have revealed an abundance of acid phosphomonoesterase in various parts of the alimentary canal and various organs of the reproductive system. The excretory ducts show alkaline phosphomonoesterase activity only.

Renal cortex guanylate cyclase. Preferential enrichment in glomerular membranes

1. The localisation and some of the properties of rabbit kidney cortex guanylate cyclase (GTP pyrophosphatase lyase (cyclizing) EC 4.6.1.2) have been studied. Upon fractionation of dissociated renal cortex, guanylate cyclase activity was preferentially enriched in fractions of pure glomeruli, where its specific activity was 44.5 times that measured in tubular fragments. Most, if not all, of the glomerular activity was found to be firmly membrane-bound, whereas the guanylate cyclase activity of the tubules was mainly soluble. Therefore, particulate guanylate cyclase activity could serve as marker enzyme for kidney glomeruli. 2. All hormones or hormone-like agents tested were without effect on kidney guanylate cyclase activity. Triton X-100 stimulated both glomerular and tubular activity. 3. Considering the high cyclic GMP forming capacity of kidney glomeruli, part of the cyclic GMP found in urine might be synthetized locally in these structures.

Oxidative metabolism of the normal rat glomerulus

Glomeruli from adult normal male Wistar rats were obtained by teasing a cortex slice with stainless steel needles. The enzyme content and the morphologic aspect of these glomeruli were assessed as a preliminary step to further metabolic studies. Robinson's medium appeared to be the most suitable medium. There was no loss of glutamic dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or acid phosphatase. Lactate dehydrogenase was lost to about 50%. Electron microscopy showed morphologic signs of damage in the podocytes. The glomerular oxygen uptake was measured with the help of the Cartesian diver technique, using approximately 20 glomeruli per assay. The endogenous respiratory rate was linear for at least three hours. The endogenous respiratory rate was linear for at least three hours. The mean dry wt of lyophilized glomeruli was determined for 13 rats for which the glomerular oxygen uptake had been measured, and these data showed a glomerular Q-02 of 4 mul/hr/mg of dry wt. The following substances were tested for their influence on the oxygen uptake: acetate, alpha-oxoglutarate, citrate, oxalacetate, glutamate, alanine, all 10 mM; succinate, 2.5, 5 and 10 mM; glucose, 5, 10 and 20 mM; fructose 10 and 20 mM; and palmitate. Citrate increases the O-2 uptake/hr/glomerulus by 30%; glucose, 20 mM, by 30%; and succinate, 2.5 mM by 50% and 10 mM by 190%. In a Robinson's medium containing 35 mg of albumin/ml, the endogenous respiration is not different from that obtained in the inorganic medium but the oxygen uptake is increased 26% by glucose, 10 mM. From these data, it can be concluded that the oxygen uptake of the glomerulus is small. This fact explains its resistance to anoxia. The systematic investigation of possible substrates indicate that glucose, citrate and succinate may play a role in supporting this small oxidative metabolism.

The relationship between kidney and urinary kininogenase

1. Rat kidneys which were perfused with saline contained both kininogenase (KGA) and kininase activity. These activities were separated by gel filtration on a Sephadex G-100 column. The kininase activity was excluded from the column whereas the KGA activity was retained. Kidney KGA activity was primarily found in the sedimentable fraction of the homogenate.2. The kidney KGA activity was compared with the urinary KGA activity, and the following properties were found to be the same: molecular dimension, pH optimum, effect of inhibitors, and ability to liberate kinins from kininogens.3. A urinary sample collected over 24 h contained about 8 times the KGA activity found in the corresponding kidneys at the end of the collection period. The urine: kidney ratio for alkaline phosphatase was about 0.01.4. The ability of kidney and urinary samples to hydrolyse N-alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) at pH 8.5 paralleled the KGA activity.