Glycerolipid formation and PGE2 and PGF2 alpha production of rat renal papillae in vitro, the effects of urea

Exchange efflux of [3H]palmitate from human red cell ghosts to bovine serum albumin in buffer. Effects of medium volume and concentration of bovine serum albumin

[3H]Palmitate, PA, exchange efflux kinetics is recorded from human erythrocyte ghosts to buffer with bovine serum albumin, BSA, at 0 degrees C. The effects have been investigated of three medium/ghost volume ratios: 36, 80 and 500, of six BSA concentrations, [BSA]: 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.2, 1 and 2% (1.5, 3.0, 7.5, 30, 150 and 300 microM) and of various v, molar ratios of palmitate to BSA, between 0.15 and 0.94. Data are analyzed in terms of a virtually closed three-compartment model. In theory, the tracer efflux is biexponential and the rate coefficients differ at least 20 fold [1]. The efflux rate at 2% BSA is monoexponential beyond our resolution time of about 1 s, but nearly biexponential at or below 0.2% BSA with a well-defined smallest-rate coefficient beta. beta depends strongly on [BSA] but is remarkably v independent. The medium/ghost volume ratio has no effect on beta when [BSA] > or = 0.2%, although beta measured at 2% BSA is almost 2-fold higher than at 0.2%. This suggests the presence of an unstirred layer, USL. According to our model, the observations are understood quantitatively on basis of our previously published dissociation rate constants of the PA-BSA complex, as well as PA equilibrium bindings to ghost membranes (Bojesen, I.N. and Bojesen, E. (1991) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1069, 297-307). Essentially, beta is theoretically a function of two terms, one comprising the membrane transport parameters and the other the medium-dependent variables. Most important is the clearance with respect to monomer concentration adjacent to the membrane. The clearance is calculated on basis of quasi-stationary diffusion in USL. The data are compatible with a planar USL of 6 microns depth and with the same area as a ghost but not with a spherical USL.

Palmitate binding to and efflux kinetics from human erythrocyte ghost

At 0 degrees C, pH 7.3, palmitate (PA) binds to human erythrocyte ghosts suspended in 0.2% bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution with molar ratios of PA to BSA, v, between 0.2 and 1.3. The binding depends on the water phase PA concentration, measured in equilibrium experiments, using BSA-filled ghosts as semipermeable bags. The saturable binding has a capacity of 19.4 +/- 7.5 nmol g-1 packed ghosts (7.2 x 10(9) cells) and Kd = 13.5 +/- 5 nM. PA exchange efflux kinetics to 0.2% BSA is recorded from ghosts without and with 0.2% BSA with a resolution time of about 1 s. Data are analyzed in terms of compartmental models. Using BSA-free ghosts the kinetics is essentially monoexponential. The rate constant is 0.0287 +/- 0.0022 s-1. Using ghosts with BSA, the kinetics is biexponential with widely different rate constants. Extrapolated zero-time values reflect, according to additional investigations, 'instantaneous' release of PA from the outer surface of the ghosts. Analyses of the biexponential curve up to about 55% tracer efflux assign unequivocally values to three model parameters. (1) k1, the dissociation rate constant of the PA-BSA complex is (1.47 +/- 0.03) x 10(-3) s-1 and (2.56 +/- 0.08) x 10(-3) s-1 and (4.08 +/- 0.13) x 10(-3) s-1 at v = 0.2, 0.6 and 1.4, respectively. (2) k3*, the overall rate constant of PA transport from the inside of the ghost membrane to the medium is 0.0269 +/- 0.0020 s-1 independent of v. (3) Qkin, the ratio of PA on the inside of the membrane to PA on BSA within the ghosts is v dependent and smaller than a corresponding ratio Qeq measured in equilibrium by a value corresponding to PA on the outer surface. This fraction is released with a rate constant, k5, which is of the order of 1 s-1. The data suggest a maximum PA transport capacity, Jmax, of 2 pmol min-1 cm-2, 0 degrees C, pH 7.3.

Eicosanoids in renal function

The major role of renal eicosanoid synthesis appears to be a protective one. In the cortex, prostaglandin synthesis minimises potential anoxic and ischaemic damage by vasodilatation. In the medulla, prostaglandin synthesis appears to stabilise the corticomedullary solute gradient and may play a role in cell volume regulation. Mono-oxygenase production at this site, by modifying blood flow and cellular active transport processes could again serve a protective function against anoxia and ischaemia. The release of erythropoietin also appears to be prostaglandin dependent. It is likely that leukotrienes released from inflammatory cells within the kidney will affect renal haemodynamics and capillary permeability as in other tissues.

The influence of renal papillary urea concentrations and of plasma vasopressin on the urinary prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha excretion in conscious rats in steady state of urine formation

Urinary excretion rates of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha were measured radioimmunologically in four different groups of unanaesthetized rats: water diuretic rats (I), rats with free access to water (II), water deprived rats (III) and 1.5% saline-loaded rats (IV). The animals were decapitated when steady states of urine formation were ascertained for three to six spontaneously delivered urine portions. Plasma vasopressin was measured radioimmunologically and urea, sodium, potassium concentrations and osmolalities of papillary fluids and of bladder urines were determined. Group means of urinary prostaglandin excretion, papillary urea concentration and logarithmic-transformed plasma vasopressin values vary in parallel for three of the groups (I, II and III) but a dissociation of the effects of papillary urea and vasopressin on the prostaglandin excretion was obtained for group IV. Statistical analyses indicated that the differences in prostaglandin excretion rates between group I and the three other groups are accounted for by the combined effects of vasopressin and papillary urea. The results support the hypothesis that vasopressin stimulates release of arachidonic acid in the papilla and that urea inhibits the trapping of this prostaglandin precursor in cellular lipids. The ratio of urinary PGF2 alpha to PGE2 varied greatly between groups but no consistent dependency on the measured parameters was found.