High-affinity binding sites for VIP in renal cortical membranes: possible role of VIP in renal transport

Human calcitonin receptor is directly targeted to and retained in the basolateral surface of MDCK cells

The human calcitonin receptor (hCTR) is expressed in polarized cells of the kidney, bone, and nervous system. In the kidney, hCTRs are found in cells of the distal nephron to which blood-borne calcitonin has access only at the basolateral surface. We expressed hCTR subtypes 1 and 2 in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells to establish a cell model useful for delineating the molecular mechanisms underlying hCTR polarity. Selective cell surface incubation demonstrated functional polarity of hCTRs by equilibrium binding or cross-linking of radioiodinated salmon calcitonin (125I-sCT) and cAMP accumulation stimulated by sCT. We estimated that at the steady state there are 40-fold more hCTRs on the basolateral than on the apical side. Domain-selective cell surface biotinylation followed by immunoblotting of streptavidin-agarose-fractionated biotinylated glycoproteins independently confirmed the polarized distribution of FLAG epitope-tagged hCTR-2 in the basolateral domain. Confocal microscopy of immunostained receptors revealed that hCTRs are concentrated on a lateral subdomain of the basolateral membrane. Cell surface arrival assay of newly formed receptors demonstrated that direct delivery to the basolateral domain is the mechanism by which hCTRs become polarized. Measurement of receptor turnover on the basolateral surface showed that retention contributes to hCTR distribution at the steady state.

[125I]endothelin-1 binding to renal brush border and basolateral membranes

[125I]Endothelin-1 bound with high affinity to a single site on both brush border membranes (Kd=192+/-26 pM. Bmax=314+/-49 fmol/mg) and basolateral membranes (Kd=94.7+/-3.4 pM, Bmax=612+/-107 fmol/mg) isolated from rat renal cortex. Competition binding experiments using subtype selective ligands revealed that the proportion of ET(B) to ET(A) receptors was 80:20 and 60:40 in the brush border membrane and the basolateral membrane, respectively. The results demonstrate that endothelin-1 binds to brush border membranes, and that endothelin ET(B) receptors may be involved in the previously described effects of endothelin-1 on brush border membrane Na+ transport.

Regulation of the renal Na-HCO3 cotransporter: VII. Mechanism of the cholinergic stimulation

Cholinergic agents regulate proximal tubule acidification but the mechanism responsible for this effect is unclear. We examined the effect of the cholinergic agent carbachol on the activity of the Na-HCO3 cotransporter in primary cultures of the proximal tubule of the rabbit. The activity of the cotransporter was assayed either as HCO3-dependent 22Na uptake or as the recovery of intracellular pH in cells perfused continuously with Cl-free physiologic solution containing amiloride to block the Na-H antiporter. Carbachol caused a dose-dependent stimulation of the cotransporter activity with a maximum increase of 90% above control values at 10(-5) M and half maximal stimulation at 10(-7) M. The stimulation was blocked by atropine and pirenzepine indicating an effect through the M1 muscarinic receptor. Carbachol increased intracellular calcium fourfold and the rise in cytosolic calcium was prevented by the intracellular calcium chelator, BAPTA. BAPTA also blocked the effect of carbachol on the cotransporter. Because carbachol activates phospholipase C and protein kinase C, we examined the effect of carbachol in the presence of the phospholipase C inhibitor, U73122, or the PKC inhibitor, calphostin C, or PKC depletion. The phospholipase C inhibitor prevented both the effect of carbachol on the cotransporter and on the intracellular Ca. Calphostin C and PKC depletion also prevented the stimulation of the cotransporter. Carbachol increased PKC activity and caused translocation of the PKC to the particulate fraction. We also examined the effect of the phosphatase inhibitor, calyculin A or the calmodulin kinase inhibitor, W-13 on carbachol stimulation. Calyculin A and W13 likewise prevented the carbachol-induced stimulation of the cotransporter. These results demonstrate that cholinergic stimulation modulated the activity of the cotransporter through multiple pathways including phospholipase C/PKC and phosphatase systems.

Somatostatin expression in human renal cortex and mesangial cells

Somatostatin modulates important physiologic functions of the kidney, including mesangial cell contraction, glomerular prostaglandin synthesis, and phosphate, water and sodium excretion. In diabetic nephropathy, somatostatin inhibits renal hypertrophy. High affinity somatostatin receptors are expressed in the kidney. Circulating somatostatin concentrations, however, are generally well below the affinity constants of known somatostatin receptors. Thus, we hypothesized that somatostatin is produced in the kidney and released locally to act in an autocrine/paracrine manner. Using reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, we found that fresh human renal cortex and cultured human mesangial cells express somatostatin mRNA. Restriction enzyme and Southern blot analysis confirmed that RT-PCR cDNA products were derived from somatostatin mRNA. Radioimmunoassay of mesangial cell culture supernatants demonstrated SS-immunoreactive peptide (87 +/- 30 pg/ml compared to 19 +/- 9 pg/ml in medium not exposed to cells; P < 0.05). In contrast, renal cells did not transcribe detectable levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA, nor did they synthesize measurable peptide. Our results demonstrate that renal cells produce somatostatin and suggest that kidney-derived somatostatin may regulate renal function in an autocrine/paracrine manner. Characterization of this pathway may lead to novel methods to alter the course of diabetic nephropathy and other renal diseases.

Regulation of the renal Na-HCO3 cotransporter: V. mechanism of the inhibitory effect of parathyroid hormone

PTH administration decreases proximal HCO3 reabsorption and inhibits the brush border Na-H antiporter. We studied the effect of PTH on the renal Na-HCO3 cotransporter and examined whether this effect is mediated through the adenylate cyclase/cyclic AMP system or through the phospholipase A pathway. We studied the effect of PTH [1-34] on the Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity in rabbit renal basolateral membranes incubated with 50 microM ATP by measuring the 22Na uptake in the presence of HCO3 and gluconate. Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity (expressed in nmol/mg protein/3 seconds) was taken as the difference in 22Na uptake in the presence of HCO3 and gluconate. PTH (10(-10) M) completely inhibited Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity from 1.23 +/- 0.14 to -0.58 +/- 0.23, P < 0.001. This effect of PTH to inhibit the Na-HCO3 cotransporter was prevented by the polyclonal antibody against G alpha s indicating that PTH acts through G alpha s protein. Because G alpha s stimulates adenylate cyclase/cyclic AMP system, we examined the effect of PTH in the presence and in the absence of the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, dideoxyadenosine (DDA). DDA alone (10(-4) M) stimulated the Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity. In the presence of DDA, the net inhibitory effect of PTH was the same magnitude as that of control, suggesting the existence of other pathways for the effect of PTH on the cotransporter. Calmodulin inhibition also partially prevented the effect of PTH. To determine whether the inhibitory effect of PTH is mediated at least in part, through phospholipase A, we first examined the effect of PTH on arachidonic acid release and then measured the Na-HCO3 cotransporter activity in presence and in absence of arachidonic acid or eicosatetraynoic acid (ETA), an inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism. PTH significantly increased the release of arachidonic acid by isolated proximal tubule cells and arachidonic acid inhibited the Na-HCO3 cotransporter in basolateral membranes. ETA (3 microM) partially prevented the inhibitory effect of PTH. In cultured proximal tubule cells, PTH inhibited the HCO3-dependent 22Na uptake and ethoxyresorufin, an inhibitor of cytochrome P-450, blocked the inhibitory effect of PTH on the cotransporter. These results demonstrate that PTH inhibits the renal Na-HCO3 cotransporter through multiple mechanisms, that are mediated through G proteins, G alpha s and GP, and CaM-KII.

Glucocorticoids and the renal Na-H antiporter: role in respiratory acidosis

We examined the role of glucocorticoids in the activity of the renal brush border Na-H antiporter under baseline conditions (5% CO2 gassing) and during respiratory acidosis (10% CO2 gassing) in cultured monolayers of a proximal tubule suspension (primary cultures of the proximal tubule). Primary cultures of the proximal tubule showed an adaptive increase in renal brush border Na-H antiporter activity in response to respiratory acidosis in presence but not in the absence of physiologic concentrations of hydrocortisone in the medium. The effect of hydrocortisone to increase the activity of the renal brush border Na-H antiporter in respiratory acidosis could also be elicited by dexamethasone. Deletion of hydrocortisone from the medium also impaired the baseline activity of the Na-H antiporter. The effect of hydrocortisone to increase the activity of the Na-H antiporter under baseline conditions and during respiratory acidosis was elicited by physiologic concentrations of the hormone and 100-fold increase in concentration did not further increase the activity of the Na-H antiporter. These results demonstrate that the presence of physiologic concentrations of glucocorticoids are necessary for the baseline activity of the renal brush border Na-H antiporter and its adaptive increase in response to respiratory acidosis.

G-protein stimulation inhibits amiloride-sensitive Na/H exchange independently of cyclic AMP

G-proteins are heterotrimeric proteins involved in many transmembrane signaling events. Both the renal basolateral membrane and the renal brush border membrane contain large quantities of these proteins. G-proteins appear related to hormonal signaling in the basolateral membrane and presumably affect ion gating in the brush border. We investigated the influence of G-proteins on the amiloride-sensitive Na/H exchanger, the activity of which is regulated at least in part by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, by measuring the amiloride-sensitive component of [22Na+] uptake in rat renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) in the presence of a pH gradient. Incubation of vesicles with AlF4- (10 microM Al3+, 10 mM F-) resulted in significant inhibition of amiloride-sensitive [22Na+] uptake at both 20 seconds and 5 minutes of incubation. Incorporation of GTP gamma S into BBMV by transient hypotonic lysis also resulted in significantly reduced amiloride-sensitive [22Na+] uptake compared to controls at both time points. This inhibition could be reversed by GDP beta S. Similar lysis in the presence of 10 microM GDP beta S alone had no significant effect. When Na(+)-dependent [14C]-D-glucose uptake into BBMV was studied no significant effect of these G-protein modulating agents was observed. Adenylate cyclase activity could not be stimulated in these BBMV preparations using standard techniques. Furthermore, cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity, strongly stimulated in these BBMV by exogenously added cAMP, was not stimulated by 10 microM GTP gamma S alone. These findings suggest that the amiloride-sensitive Na/H exchanger can be regulated by G-proteins independently of adenylate cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase.

Renal sodium excretion following systemic infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the rat

1. The aim of this clearance study was to examine the renal effects of systemic infusion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the intact rat. 2. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), plasma electrolytes and haematocrit, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and urinary sodium and potassium excretion were measured in a baseline period and following VIP infusion (0.1-1.2 nmol/h per 200 g), as well as during a time control study. 3. During infusion of low doses of VIP (0.1 and 0.4 nmol/h per 200 g), a small increase in fractional and absolute excretion of sodium occurred but this did not differ from that occurring in the time control group. In the high dose VIP group (1.2 nmol/h per 200 g), significant falls occurred in MAP and GFR, and absolute sodium excretion fell (though not significantly) from its baseline level. 4. These findings suggest that systemic VIP has no net natriuretic effect in the rat, but produces haemodynamic changes associated with reduced sodium excretion at high doses. This study does not exclude the possibility of direct effects on tubular sodium transport of VIP released from renal nerves.

Localization and polar distribution of several G-protein subunits along nephron segments

Guanine nucleotide binding proteins (G-proteins) are heterotrimeric proteins involved in signal transduction in epithelia. In addition to possessing a polarized epithelium the nephron is composed of well defined segments, each with distinct receptors, transporters and other functions. Since different G-proteins interact with different receptors, a differential distribution of the various G-protein subunits would be expected. To investigate this possibility, polyclonal antipeptide antibodies to several G-protein subunits were used to examine the distribution of these proteins in nephron segments and their localization to apical or basal membrane domains. Immunoblotting of cortical membrane vesicles demonstrated the presence of G-proteins in both the brush border and basolateral membrane. Staining with G alpha common and G alpha s antibodies demonstrated more of these G-protein subunits in the brush border than basolateral membrane. G-protein beta subunits were also present in greater quantity in brush border membranes. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated good antigenic preservation and basically confirmed the results of immunoblotting of renal cortex. G-proteins were also found to be differentially distributed in the medulla, the amounts increasing with proximity to inner medulla. Only G alpha s and G beta subunits were demonstrated in glomeruli, but all subunits examined were detected in brush borders of proximal and apical membrane of distal tubules in cortex. In outer medulla G alpha s was detected in both basolateral and brush borders of some tubules and only brush borders of others, G alpha i2 and G beta were found in brush border and G alpha i3 was not detected in this area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)