Effects of chronic and acute ethanol exposure on renal (Na + K)-ATPase in the rat

Moderate Alcohol Consumption Inhibits Sodium-Dependent Glutamine Co-Transport in Rat Intestinal Epithelial Cells in Vitro and Ex Vivo

Malnutrition is present in chronic alcoholics. However, how moderate alcohol consumption affects the absorption of nutrients like glutamine has not been investigated. Glutamine, an amino acid, is vital to gastrointestinal health. Glutamine is absorbed via sodium-dependent glutamine co-transport (B0AT1; SLC6A19) along the brush border membrane of absorptive villus cells. Rat intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-18) and sixteen-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were administered the equivalent of a 0.04% blood alcohol content of ethanol (8.64 mM; 2 g/kg) to investigate the effect of moderate alcohol on sodium-glutamine co-transport. Sodium-dependent ³H-glutamine uptakes were performed to measure B0AT1 activity. Inorganic phosphate was measured as a function of Na-K-ATPase activity. Protein expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical and Western blot analysis. Ethanol significantly inhibited sodium-dependent glutamine absorption and Na-K-ATPase activity in enterocytes in vitro and ex vivo. Kinetic studies suggested that the mechanism of inhibition was due to decreased maximal rate of uptake (V_max) of the B0AT1 co-transporter, corresponding to decreased B0AT1 protein expression and secondary to an inhibited sodium-gradient at the cellular level in vitro and ex vivo. In all, moderate ethanol significantly inhibited glutamine absorption at the level of decreased B0AT1 expression at the brush border membrane and a reduced sodium gradient, which may contribute to malnutrition present in chronic alcoholics.

Hypomagnesemia: a clinical perspective

Although magnesium is involved in a wide spectrum of vital functions in normal human physiology, the significance of hypomagnesemia and necessity for its treatment are under-recognized and underappreciated in clinical practice. In the current review, we first present an overview of the clinical significance of hypomagnesemia and normal magnesium metabolism, with a focus on renal magnesium handling. Subsequently, we review the literature for both congenital and acquired hypomagnesemic conditions that affect the various steps in normal magnesium metabolism. Finally, we present an approach to the routine evaluation and suggested management of hypomagnesemia.

Hormetic acute response and chronic effect of ethanol on adenine nucleotide hydrolysis in rat platelets

The objective of this study was to verify the acute and chronic effects of ethanol on platelet NTPDase and 5'-nucleotidase activities. These enzymes modulate platelet function by regulating adenine nucleotide bioavailability and adenosine production. In the acute treatment, doses of 0.8, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 g/kg ethanol were administered via orogastric tube, and induced a biphasic or hormetic effect on ATP, ADP and AMP platelet hydrolysis. Ethanol at a dose of 0.8 and 2.0 g/kg increased NTPDase activity (44 and 35%, P < 0.0001) with ATP as substrate, whereas when ADP was used there was only a tendency for NTPDase activity to increase. ATP and ADP hydrolysis decreased by 31-77% (P < 0.0001) in 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 g/kg of ethanol compared to the control. AMP hydrolysis showed a tendency to increase at ethanol doses of 0.8 and 2.0 g/kg, but was inhibited by 45-100% (P < 0.0001) at the higher doses. Chronic treatment consisted of the oral administration of 20% ethanol solution during 31 weeks as the only source of liquid and inhibited NTPDase activity (15 and 20%, P < 0.05) with ATP and ADP as substrate, respectively. However, AMP hydrolysis by 5'-nucleotidase increased by 40% (P < 0.05). Thus, we speculate that the effects of ethanol on NTPDase and 5'-nucleotidase activities could be related with the platelets alterations commonly observed in alcohol users.

Alcohol induced effects on kidney

After administration ethanol and its metabolites go through kidneys and are excreted into urine, and its content in the urine is higher than that of the blood and the liver. Chronic ethanol administration decreases the renal tubular reabsorption and reduces renal function. Multiple functional abnormalities of renal tubules may be associated with ethanol-induced changes in membrane composition and lipid peroxidation. The vulnerability of the kidney to oxidative damage has been partly attributed to its high content of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Renal ultra structural abnormalities due to ethanol exposure may be important in the genesis of functional disturbances. Increased oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction with their complex interrelationships are relevant aspects of atherogenesis in chronic renal failure. Antioxidants, particularly polyphenols are expected to decrease the vulnerability of the kidney to oxidative challenges.

Wine consumption and renal diseases: new perspectives

Investigations into the relation between wine consumption and kidney disease have been limited. Patients with chronic renal failure show accelerated atherosclerotic damage and, considering the well-known protective effect of wine on the cardiovascular system, moderate wine consumption might be advantageous. Oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, which are inter-related, play a role in the pathophysiology of many renal diseases, including acute and chronic renal failure. Ethanol and non-alcoholic wine components, especially polyphenols, influence oxidative balance and endothelial function. Although long-term alcohol abuse has been associated with many renal alterations in humans, in experimental studies wine polyphenols enhanced kidney antioxidant defenses, exerted protective effects against renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, and inhibited apoptosis of mesangial cells. Moreover, in diabetic patients the administration of moderate amounts of red wine and a polyphenol-enriched diet slowed the progression of diabetic nephropathy. Moreover, the unfavorable effect of ethanol on blood pressure control seems to be counterbalanced by polyphenol protective effects. There is convincing evidence of a beneficial effect of controlled wine consumption patients with renal disease, but controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Wine, diet, and arterial hypertension

Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in developed countries, and the number of prehypertensive patients is increasing. The beneficial effects of moderate wine consumption on cardiovascular diseases have been demonstrated, along with the healthy influence of a Mediterranean dietary pattern. The association of these 2 factors on hypertension and its complications is considered here. As wine polyphenols exert a vasorelaxing action, they might positively influence the hemodynamic situation of these patients. These effects could be enhanced by dietary constituents, such as garlic, onions, and olive oil, which are widely employed in Mediterranean cooking. By evaluating many studies performed in animal models and in humans, the authors conclude that moderate wine consumption, if associated with a healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean one, could help hypertensive patients to ameliorate their arterial pressure and quality of life by reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality rates.

Alcohol-induced lung damage and increased oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-induced lung damage may be associated with increased oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to investigate alcohol-induced changes in the biochemistry and histopathology of the lung.

METHODS

Rats were divided into two groups, a control group and an ethanol group. The ethanol group received 2 g/kg ethanol (total: 3 ml) intraperitoneally. The controls were given the same amount of saline via the same route. Three hours later, the rats were sacrificed, and blood and lung tissue samples were obtained. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the levels of erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH), tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Na(+)-K(+) ATPase. Histopathologic evaluation of the lung tissues was also performed.

RESULTS

In the ethanol group, serum and tissue MDA levels and MPO activities were increased (p = 0.007, p = 0.001 and p = 0.000), and lung tissue Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activities and erythrocyte GSH were decreased (p = 0.001 and p = 0.000) compared to the controls. Histopathologic examination demonstrated alveolocapillary thickening, alveolar degeneration, leukocyte infiltration and erythrocyte extravasation in the lungs of the ethanol group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that high-dose acute alcohol administration aggravates systemic and local oxidative stress leading to acute lung injury, ranging from mild pulmonary dysfunction to severe lung injury. It should be borne in mind that rapid onset of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may also be due to increased oxidative stress following alcohol abuse, especially when ischemic disturbances, e.g. coronary heart disease, acute ischemia of the extremities and traumatic accidents, are concomitantly present. Therefore, precautions against ARDS may prevent morbidity and mortality in alcohol-induced lung damage in at-risk patients.

Effect of ethanol on regulation of (Na + K)-adenosine triphosphatase by aldosterone and dexamethasone in cultured renal papillary collecting duct cells

Chronic ethanol exposure causes alterations in biologic membranes of different cell types. (Na + K) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), a membrane-bound enzyme inhibited by the acute presence of ethanol, increases its activity in rat kidney after chronic ethanol consumption. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of ethanol on the modulation of (Na + K)-ATPase by glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids in renal papillary collecting duct cells. Cultured renal papillary collecting duct cells were exposed to a medium containing 150 mM ethanol plus either 100 nM aldosterone or 10 nM dexamethasone. Control groups were cultured in the absence of ethanol and/or the hormones. Mg(2+)-ATPase was used as control enzyme. The activity of ATPases was measured by ATP hydrolysis. Ethanol increased the activities of (Na + K)-ATPase and Mg(2+)- ATPase in 29 and 33% of controls, respectively; only (Na + K)-ATPase activity was elevated in the presence of aldosterone or dexamethasone, whereas Mg(2+)-ATPase was unaltered by these hormones. The effects of aldosterone and dexamethasone on (Na + K)-ATPase activity were augmented by ethanol in 50 and 19% of controls, respectively. These results suggest that ethanol treatment enhances the upregulation of (Na + K)-ATPase activity by both aldosterone and dexamethasone, in cultured renal papillary collecting duct cells.

Rat kidney antioxidant response to long-term exposure to flavonol rich red wine

This study evaluated the antioxidant defense system of the rat kidney following chronic exposure to red wine rich in flavonols. Both ethanol and antioxidant non-alcoholic wine components, mainly polyphenols, could contribute to the antioxidant status of kidney. Adult rats were given separately, water, ethanol (12.5%), red wine or alcohol-free red wine. After ten weeks of treatment, blood samples were obtained to determine plasma antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ferric reducing ability of plasma), uric acid and ethanol levels. Kidney tissues (cortex and papilla) were separated to perform measurements of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA) and the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). The activity of (Na + K)-ATPase, a membrane-bound enzyme, was also assessed. Red wine in plasma, elevated the FRAP without changing the concentration of uric acid; in kidney, it diminished the MDA production and elevated the GSH/GSSG ratio and the activity of CAT and GSH-Px. The activity of SOD did not change. Despite the finding that renal (Na + K)-ATPase activity was upregulated by ethanol, it was not altered by either red wine or alcohol-free red wine. The effects on the antioxidant enzymes could be attributed to ethanol, but the increase in the FRAP and GSH/GSSG ratio is attributed to the non-alcoholic components of red wine. These data suggest that there is an enhancement of the antioxidant defense potential in kidney and plasma, after chronic red wine consumption. Both ethanol and the non-alcoholic antioxidant constituents of red wine could be responsible for these effects.

Renal damage mediated by oxidative stress: a hypothesis of protective effects of red wine

Over the last decade, oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of seemingly unrelated renal diseases. Epidemiological studies have documented an association of moderate wine consumption with a decreased risk of cardiovascular and neurological diseases; however, similar studies in the kidney are still lacking. The kidney is an organ highly vulnerable to damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS), likely due to the abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the composition of renal lipids. ROS are involved in the pathogenic mechanism of conditions such as glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. The health benefits of moderate consumption of red wine can be partly attributed to its antioxidant properties. Indeed, the kidney antioxidant defense system is enhanced after chronic exposure to moderate amounts of wine, a response arising from the combined effects of ethanol and the nonalcoholic components, mainly polyphenols. Polyphenols behave as potent ROS scavengers and metal chelators; ethanol, in turn, modulates the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Therefore, a hypothesis that red wine causes a decreased vulnerability of the kidney to the oxidative challenges could be proposed. This view is partly supported by direct evidences indicating that wine and antioxidants isolated from red wine, as well as other antioxidants, significantly attenuate or prevent the oxidative damage to the kidney. The present hypothesis paper provides a collective body of evidence suggesting a protective role of moderate wine consumption against the production and progression of renal diseases, based on the existing concepts on the pathophysiology of kidney injury mediated by oxidative stress.

Changes in (Na + K)-adenosine triphosphatase activity and ultrastructure of lung and kidney associated with oxidative stress induced by acute ethanol intoxication

STUDY AND OBJECTIVES: (Na + K)-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity, oxidative stress parameters, and morphologic characteristics of the lung and kidney of rats under acute ethanol intoxication were assessed to investigate the pathogenic mechanism of tissue damage.

DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS

Adult rats were given ethanol (5.5 g/kg) 3 h before performing the biochemical and morphologic studies. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG), the activities of key antioxidant enzymes (ie, catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px]) and malondialdehyde production. (Na + K)-ATPase, a membrane-bound enzyme, also was assayed.

RESULTS

In the lung, ethanol increased MDA production by 60%, decreased GSH levels by 33%, decreased SOD and GSH-Px activity by 10%, and decreased (Na + K)-ATPase activity by 55%, whereas CAT activity was unaltered. Impaired surfactant secretion and cell adhesion of lung epithelial cells were found. In the kidney, ethanol did not influence the activity of (Na + K)-ATPase or lipid peroxidation, despite the reduction of both GSH and the GSH/GSSG ratio. Focally thickened glomerular basement membrane, apoptosis of foot processes, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis were found.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that oxidative stress plays a role in mediating the ethanol-induced down-regulation of lung (Na + K)-ATPase. GSH depletion seems to be a major determinant of this effect. Independent mechanisms seem to account for the morphologic alterations of these organs.

Effect of alcohol on energy storage of primary astrocytes and C6-glioma cells in vitro

The present experiments were conducted to investigate the direct effects of ethanol on the energy metabolism of astrocytes and C6-glioma cells. Primary astrocytes were prepared from cerebral cortices of neonatal rats, and C6-glioma cells were purchased from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). These cells were exposed to different concentrations of alcohol (100 mM, 200 mM, and 300 mM) for 15 minutes and 24 hours. The amount of ATP and PCr was measured by the method of Lowry and Passonneau (1972). Following 15 minutes treatment with different doses of ethanol the amount of ATP and PCr increased, in both cell types. Only the increase of ATP concentration with varying doses of ethanol (100 mM, 200 mM, and 300 mM) was statistically significant. Following 24 hours treatment of astrocytes with different doses of ethanol the concentration of ATP and PCr decreased. The decrease in concentration of ATP was significant with all three doses of ethanol, but the decrease of PCr concentration was only statistically significant with 300 mM ethanol. Following 24 hours treatment of C6-glioma cells to varying doses of ethanol, the concentration of PCr and ATP decreased. The decrease of PCr was statistically significant with all three doses of ethanol and the decrease of ATP concentration was only significant with 300 mM ethanol.

Acute and chronic effect of ethanol on (Na + K)-ATPase activity and cyclic AMP response to vasopressin in rat papillary collecting duct cells

1. We evaluated the effects of ethanol on (Na + K)-ATPase activity and cAMP response to vasopressin in native and cultured rat papillary collecting duct (PCD) cells. 2. A significant increase in (Na + K)-ATPase and Mg(2+)-ATPase activities was found in PCD cells either isolated from chronic ethanol-fed rats or cultured in the presence of ethanol. 3. Acute treatment with ethanol resulted in a biphasic effect on the activity of (Na + K)-ATPase, which was enhanced below 1% ethanol and inhibited at higher concentrations. 4. Chronic ethanol treatment did not change the cAMP response of PCD cells to vasopressin. Acutely, in turn, this response was enhanced by ethanol per se. 5. It is suggested that the antinatriuretic effect of ethanol could be at least in part mediated by a (Na + K)-ATPase enhancement in PCD cells. Acutely, ethanol could normalize water balance by its peripheral effects on distal nephron.