Renal brush-border-membrane vesicles prepared from newborn rats by free-flow electrophoresis and their proline uptake

Developmental differences in renal sulfate reabsorption: transport kinetics in brush border membrane vesicles

Renal tubular reabsorption of inorganic sulfate is greater in younger than older guinea pigs. To determine the mechanism of this difference, we studied the transport of inorganic sulfate in renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) obtained from young (< 25 days) and adult guinea pigs (> 60 days). BBMV were obtained by mechanical and osmotic disruption of dissected renal cortices followed by magnesium precipitation and differential centrifugation. After the membranes were incubated for 10 s in solutions containing inorganic sulfate at several concentrations (0.1-10 mM) and trace amounts of 35sulfate, intravesicular uptake was measured. Based on 35sulfur uptake, reabsorption transport kinetics (Vmax and Km) were estimated. BBMV obtained from young guinea pigs demonstrated higher sodium-sulfate cotransport, Vmax (51.79 +/- 4.34 pmol/mg protein per s) than those obtained from adult animals (Vmax = 34.28 +/- 9.17 pmol/mg per s), P < 0.05. Vmax values are represented as means plus or minus standard deviation. No differences in Km were observed. Our results indicate that age-related differences in renal inorganic sulfate reabsorption are due to a higher Vmax for sodium-sulfate cotransport in the younger animals, suggesting a higher density of sodium-sulfate cotransporters or an increased cotransport turnover rate in this age group.

Glucocorticoid-mediated alterations in fluidity of rabbit cardiac muscle microvessel endothelial cell membranes: influences on eicosanoid release

Experiments were conducted to determine effects of the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, on the lipid fluidity of cultured rabbit cardiac muscle microvessel endothelial cells and the possible role(s) for altered fluidity in the steroid inhibition of cellular eicosanoid production. Following a sixteen hour exposure to 10(-7) M dexamethasone, membranes prepared from treated cells exhibited a decreased fluidity compared to their control counterparts, as assessed by steady-state fluorescence polarization techniques using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). Examination of the effects of temperature on the anisotropy values of DPH using Arrhenius plots revealed consistent differences in the steroid treated cells over the entire temperature range (40-5 degrees C). These dexamethasone-dependent fluidity changes were associated with increases in the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio of membrane lipids. Restoration of membrane fluidity to control values with the fluidizing agent, 2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl-8-(cis- 2-n-octylcyclopropyl)octanoate (A2C), partially reversed dexamethasone induced inhibition of A23187-stimulated eicosanoid release. These observations suggest that at least part of dexamethasone's inhibitory actions on eicosanoid generation in microvessel endothelial cells are mediated by alterations in membrane composition and fluidity.

Molecular sizes of amino acid transporters in the luminal membrane from the kidney cortex, estimated by the radiation-inactivation method

Renal brush-border membrane vesicles from rat kidney cortex were irradiated in frozen state with a gamma-radiation source. Initial rates of influx into these vesicles were estimated for substrates such as L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-proline and L-leucine to establish the molecular sizes of their carriers. Transport was measured in initial-rate conditions to avoid artifacts arising from a decrease in the driving force caused by a modification of membrane permeability. Initial rates of Na(+)-independent uptakes for those four substrates appeared unaffected in the dose range used (0-6 Mrad), indicating that the passive permeability of the membrane towards these substrates was unaffected. However, at higher doses of irradiation the Na+ influx and the intravesicular volume evaluated by the uptake of glucose at equilibrium were altered by radiation. Thus Na(+)-dependent influx values were corrected for volume changes, and the corrected values were used to compute radiation-inactivation sizes of the transport systems. Their respective values for L-glutamic acid, L-proline, L-leucine and L-alanine carriers were 250, 224, 293 and 274 kDa. The presence of the free-radicals scavenger benzoic acid in the frozen samples during irradiation did not affect the uptake of glucose, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase activity. These results indicate that freezing samples in a cryoprotective medium was enough to prevent secondary inactivation of transporters by free radicals. Uptakes of beta-alanine and L-lysine were much less affected by radiation. The radiation-inactivation size of the Na(+)-dependent beta-alanine carrier was 127 kDa and that of the L-lysine carrier was 90 kDa.

Renal Fanconi syndrome: developmental basis for a new animal model with relevance to human disease

Using succinylacetone (SA), a metabolite of tyrosine excreted in excess by infants and children with hereditary tyrosinemia and the renal Fanconi syndrome (FS), we have investigated developmentally-related membrane transport events leading to emergence of the generalized renal tubular dysfunction seen in human FS. SA was found to impair sugar and amino acid uptake by both newborn renal tubules and 7-day renal brush-border membrane vesicles (BBMV). This impairment by SA was due in part to a slowing of substrate cotransport rate of 22Na+-entry into BBMV. Concentration-dependent uptake studies indicated SA inhibited the newborn high-affinity transport systems for sugars and amino acids. SA also caused an increase in membrane fluidity and a shift in the thermotropic transition temperature. The demonstrated dual nature of SA's effect on membrane fluidity and O2 consumption, together with the relative contribution of each component to SA-induced transport impairment helps to provide a basis for an understanding of the age-related increases in glucosuria, aminoaciduria and natriuria seen in infants with FS.

Development of beta-amino acid transport in the kidney

This study focuses on the maturation of the renal beta-amino acid transport system and uses dietary manipulation as a probe. The epithelial surface of the renal proximal tubule is responsible for the conservation of ions and organic solutes including beta-amino acids. This beta-amino acid transport system is stimulated during periods of reduced dietary intake and permits increased excretion following dietary excess. We have examined transport of the sulfur-containing beta-amino acid, taurine, as a measure of this renal adaptive response to fluctuations in dietary sulfur amino acid intake and as a substrate for the beta-amino acid transport system. A precession of taurine uptake values by brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) prepared from nursing rats from youngest to oldest was evident. However, these membranes demonstrate the full renal adaptive response to altered sulfur amino acid intake after the first week of life. This adaptive response is expressed at the brush border surface by transport changes in both directions ("up regulation" and "down regulation"), through changes in the initial rate (15 sec) of Na+-taurine cotransport. No alterations in the lipid microenvironment of the membrane, as detected by altered membrane fluidity, were uncovered. Although vesicles from 7-day-old pups demonstrate adaptation and accumulate taurine to a limited extent, the accumulation of Na+, which energizes uptake, may be altered, thereby preventing full expression of the adaptive response and of transport capacity at this age.

Renal adaptation to dietary amino acid alteration is expressed in immature renal brush border membranes

The transport of ions and solutes at the epithelial surface of the renal proximal tubule increases during periods of reduced dietary intake and decreases with dietary excess. We have used the sulfur-containing beta-amino acid, taurine, as a probe of this renal adaptive response to altered dietary sulfur amino acid intake to better understand the mechanisms of renal amino acid reabsorption. There exists an age-related precession of taurine uptake values by brush border membrane vesicles prepared from nursing rats from youngest to oldest. However, despite the immaturity of this transport mechanism, epithelial membranes become able to display a full renal adaptive response to altered sulfur amino acid intake sometime between the 7th and 14th day of life. This adaptive response is expressed in both "up regulation" and "down regulation" by means of a change in the initial rate of Na(+)-taurine cotransport. No changes in the lipid microenvironment of the membrane, as assessed by measurements of membrane fluidity, are evident. The lack of adaptation observed in 7-day-old pups may be due to immaturity of the Na+ transporting mechanism which energizes the uptake of amino acids.

A rapid method for the reconstitution of Na+-dependent neutral amino acid transport from bovine renal brush-border membranes

1. A simple and rapid method for the reconstitution of Na+-dependent neutral amino acid transport activity from bovine renal brush border membranes is described. 2. The neutral detergent decanoyl-N-methylglucamide ('MEGA-10') was employed to solubilize the membrane protein. This obviated the necessity for a prolonged dialysis step. 3. The properties of amino acid transport in these vesicles were similar to those observed in native membranes. 4. This should be a useful procedure in the eventual identification and isolation of amino acid transport proteins.

Evidence for a single common Na+-dependent transport system for alanine, glutamine, leucine and phenylalanine in brush-border membrane vesicles from bovine kidney

The characteristics of the Na+-dependent transport of alanine, glutamine, leucine and phenylalanine were studied in bovine renal brush-border membrane vesicles. Inhibition of the transport of any one of these amino acids by any other was mutually competitive. The Ki value for the inhibition of alanine transport by leucine was similar to the Km for leucine transport; similar interrelationships existed for the other amino acids. Each amino acid was shown to exchange with each of the other amino acids across the membrane. From these and other results it is concluded that the Na+-dependent transport of these four amino acids is catalysed by a single common transport system.

Biochemical effects of gentamicin on rat kidney cortex. I. Analytical subfractionation of control tissue

As a first step in studies of the molecular mechanism(s) underlying gentamicin toxicity, rat kidney cortex has been subfractionated using differential centrifugation. An analytical, rather than preparative approach was used. DNA was used as a marker for the nuclei, cytochrome oxidase for mitochondria, acid phosphatase for lysosomes, catalase for peroxisomes, NADPH-cytochrome c reductase for the endoplasmic reticulum, p-nitrophenyl-alpha-mannosidase (at pH 5.5) for the Golgi apparatus, AMPase for the plasma membrane in general, and alkaline phosphatase for the brush border, and lactate dehydrogenase for the cytosol. In addition, electron microscopy was performed on the subfractions obtained. The distributions of subcellular markers obtained here for the rat kidney cortex closely resemble the corresponding distributions reported for rat liver. This procedure can now be used to look for biochemical and/or toxic changes which might be reflected in an altered distribution pattern for marker enzymes.

Age related changes in fluidity of rat renal brushborder membrane vesicles

Fluorescence anisotrophy of 1,6 diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene was determined in renal brushborder membranes prepared from rats 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of age, and adults, from 5 degrees C to 45 degrees C. There is a parallel relationship between temperature and mean fluorescence anisotrophy in the different age groups with a progressive decrease in fluidity with age. There is no phase transition apparent in membranes from any age group as evidenced by the lack of a fluorescence polarization "break point". There is also a linear relationship between limiting hindered anisotrophy and previously determined values for the height of the Na+-proline overshoot. This suggests that the physical characteristics of the renal brushborder membrane responsible for differences in fluidity are related to age-dependent transport alterations.

Characteristics of lysine uptake by isolated renal cortical tubule fragments from mature and immature dogs

The uptake of L-lysine was examined in isolated renal cortical tubule fragments from adult and 1-week-old dogs. Lysine uptake by adult tubules was initially more rapid than that by the immature tubules. This uptake by mature tubules reached a steady state after 30 min of incubation, while the newborn tubules still had not reached a steady state by 90 min of incubation. Because a steady state of lysine uptake was not attained with the immature tubules, their uptake of lysine exceeded that of the adult after 60 min of incubation. Kinetic studies revealed that lysine was taken up by one saturable transport system with a Km of 0.56 mM and Vmax of 6.18 mmol/liter intercellular fluid per 5 min in the adult and one saturable transport system in the 1-week-old with a Km of 0.38 mM and Vmax of 3.66 mmol/l intracellular fluid per 5 min. Lysine also entered the renal tubule cells in both age groups via a diffusional pathway with a kd of 0.35 min-1 in the adult and 0.30 min-1 in the newborn. Cystine competitively inhibited lysine uptake by adult dog tubules with a Ki of 0.61 mM. The other dibasic amino acids, ornithine and arginine, also inhibited lysine uptake in both the adult and the newborn.

Developmental aspects of proline transport in rat renal brush border membranes

Proline uptake by rat renal brush border membrane vesicles from animals 7 days of age and older has been examined to delineate developmental changes in membrane function that may underlie the physiological hyperprolinuria of young animals. Although the two proline transport systems normally present in adult membranes were found in membranes from young animals, the proline "overshoot" resulting from a sodium ion gradient is minimal and increases with age of the animal from which the membranes were isolated. This is associated with a severalfold faster entry of 22Na into vesicles of the 7-day-old animal compared to entry into membranes prepared from adult kidneys. The very rapid dissipation of the sodium gradient thus diminishing the driving force for transmembrane proline movement may explain the changes in proline overshoot observed in membranes from young animals. The altered sodium permeability is consistent with the fact that young animals have a generalized inability to reabsorb other amino acids whose transport is known to be sodium gradient stimulated.