Characterization of acute reversible systemic hypertension in a model of heme protein-induced renal injury

In the glycerol model of renal injury we describe an acute rise in systemic arterial pressure which is attended by a reduced vasodilatory response to acetylcholine in vivo; vasodilatory responses to verapamil, however, were not impaired. Neither arginine nor sodium nitroprusside diminished this rise in blood pressure; N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) elevated basal mean arterial pressure and markedly blunted the rise in mean arterial pressure following the administration of glycerol. Aortic rings from the glycerol-treated rat demonstrate an impaired vasodilatory response to acetylcholine, an effect not repaired by arginine; the vasodilatory responses to nitric oxide donors, sodium nitroprusside and SIN-1, were also impaired; 8-bromo-cGMP, at higher doses, evinced a vasodilatory response comparable to that observed in the control rings. This pattern of responses was not a nonspecific effect of aortic injury, since aortic rings treated with mercuric chloride, a potent oxidant, displayed an impaired vasodilatory response to acetylcholine but not to sodium nitroprusside. We conclude that in the glycerol model of heme protein-induced tissue injury, there is an acute elevation in mean arterial pressure attended by impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in vitro and in vivo. We suggest that the acute scavenging of nitric oxide by heme proteins depletes the blood vessel wall of its endogenous vasodilator and permeation of heme proteins into the blood vessel wall may contribute to such sustained effects as observed in vitro.

K+ self-exchange by the Na+ pump: regulation by P(i) and metabolic perturbations

We have previously demonstrated that the Na(+)-K+ pump on the basolateral membrane of the rabbit cortical collecting duct can function in the K+/K+ exchange mode. Increasing intracellular phosphate in red blood cells inhibits the Na+ pump and increases K+/K+ exchange. We found that maneuvers designed to increase intracellular phosphate in collecting duct cells caused an increase in K+/K+ exchange. Subjecting the cells to a metabolic insult (cyanide) increased K+/K+ exchange by the pump as judged by its ouabain sensitivity and lack of electrogenic or conductive characteristics. The results demonstrate that the rate of K+/K+ exchange by the Na(+)-K+ pump can be altered by changes in intracellular phosphate over a range that is physiologically or pathologically achievable. The results also suggest a mechanism for inhibition of vectorial Na+ transport during metabolic stress.

EGF and PGE2 inhibit rabbit CCD Na+ transport by different mechanisms: PGE2 inhibits Na(+)-K+ pump

The rabbit cortical collecting duct absorbs Na+ by a transport system comprised of an apical membrane Na+ channel and a basolateral membrane Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase. The rate of Na+ absorption across this epithelium is acutely inhibited by several hormones and autacoids including epidermal growth factor (EGF) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). We used electrophysiological analysis to determine which Na+ transport mechanism is primarily regulated in response to EGF and PGE2. We used concentrations of EGF and PGE2 that inhibited Na+ absorption to a comparable degree. We assessed the effects of these agents on Na+ transport primarily by the calculated equivalent current; the validity of this indicator was verified using simultaneous tracer flux measurements. EGF and PGE2 had different effects on the intracellular electrophysiological parameters. EGF (in the presence of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) hyperpolarized the apical membrane voltage in a manner analogous to the Na(+)-channel blocker amiloride, reduced the transepithelial conductance, and increased the fractional resistance of the apical membrane. In comparison, PGE2 depolarized the apical membrane voltage in a manner analogous to the Na(+)-K+ pump inhibitor ouabain, and caused no significant changes in transepithelial conductance or apical membrane conductance. The finding that EGF hyperpolarized the apical membrane indicates that this agent attenuates Na+ absorption by reducing apical Na+ entry due to a decrease in the magnitude of the apical membrane Na+ conductance. In contrast, the electrophysiological changes produced by PGE2 indicate primary inhibition of the basolateral Na(+)-K+ pump following PGE2 treatment.

Analysis of K+ transport by rabbit CCD: conductive pathways and K(+)-K+ exchange by Na(+)-K+ pump

We studied the cellular pathways of K+ transport by the rabbit cortical collecting duct that was stimulated to absorb Na+ and to secrete K+. The vast majority of K+ secretion (into the lumen) was inhibited by benzamil, a blocker of epithelial Na+ channels. The residual K+ secretion was completely inhibited by ouabain. Thus all active K+ secretion was dependent on Na+ transport by the Na(+)-K+ pump. The passive pathways of K+ transport were further examined using tracer and electrophysiological measurements. K+ transfer across the apical membrane was predominantly or exclusively conductive; the apical K+ conductance was 31 mS/cm2. The basolateral membrane contained two pathways for K+ tracer translocation. The (barium-sensitive) conductive pathway accounted for a relatively small (12-20%) portion of the tracer permeation. A larger pathway appeared to be via K(+)-K+ exchange on the Na(+)-K+ pump. The magnitude of the Ba2(+)-sensitive (basolateral) K+ conductance predicted a substantially larger tracer flux than was actually measured. The best explanation for this difference is the presence of single-file diffusion through K+ channels on the apical and basolateral membranes. An analysis of the electrically silent K+ transport from lumen to bath suggests that the Na(+)-K+ pump can vary the ratio of its Na(+)-K+ and K(+)-K+ modes of operation. When the tubule is actively transporting Na+ and K+, the Na(+)-K+/K(+)-K+ turnover ratio is greater than 7. When Na+ transport is limited by inhibiting Na+ entry across the apical membrane, the ratio falls to less than 1. A major factor determining this ratio is probably the availability of Na+ to the cytoplasmic side of the pump.

K+ and Rb+ transport by the rabbit CCD: Rb+ reduces K+ conductance and Na+ transport

We compared transport of K+ and Rb+ across the rabbit cortical collecting duct to gain insight into the mechanisms of K+ secretion. Passive tracer fluxes, active secretory rates, electrophysiological behavior, and the ability of each ion to support Na+-K+-ATPase activity were determined. When active transport was inhibited by amiloride, K+ permeability was twice the Rb+ permeability. Transepithelial conductance (GT) was half as great in solutions where 5 mM Rb+ replaced 5 mM K+. When 4 mM Ba2+ was added to the lumen, both Rb+ and K+ permeability fell to values not different from that expected for paracellular diffusion. The relationship between Ba2+-induced changes in the K+ and Rb+ permeabilities and in the simultaneously measured GT provides strong evidence that K+ transport across the apical membrane is largely, if not exclusively, conductive. We also determined that net K+ secretion is greater than net Rb+ secretion (when each is the abundant ion). The reasons for this difference probably involve several steps in the K+ secretory process and include the following: 1) reduced ATPase activity in the presence of Rb+ (approximately 80%) compared with K+, 2) reduction of Na+ absorption, and 3) partial blockade of the apical (and perhaps basolateral) K+ conductance. Although there were quantitative differences between K+ and Rb+ transport, we found no evidence suggesting that these ions are transported by different mechanisms.

Characteristics of the paracellular pathway of rabbit cortical collecting duct

The nature of the paracellular pathway of the rabbit cortical collecting duct (CCD) was examined under conditions designed to eliminate all cellular ion transport. Transcellular conductive pathways were blocked by addition of amiloride and Ba2+ to the perfusate. Cl self-exchange was eliminated by removing Cl from the bath solution, and HCO3 transport was eliminated by omitting HCO3 and CO2 from the solutions. The residual transepithelial conductance (GT) and radioisotopic tracer flux under these conditions probably occur via the paracellular pathway. The GT measured in nontransporting CCD bathed in NaCl solutions was 1.1-1.2 mS/cm2. When Na or Cl was replaced by a less mobile ion, the GT decreased by an amount commensurate with the decrease in solution conductivity. The Na-to-Cl permeability ratio determined by NaCl dilution voltages ranged from 0.55 to 0.82. An independent estimate of paracellular selectivity was obtained by comparing the lumen-to-bath tracer rate coefficients for Na (kNa) and Cl (kCl). The ratio kNa:kCl was 0.75. These observations suggest that the paracellular pathway displays a Na:Cl permselectivity not substantially different from the ratio of their mobilities in water (0.65). Additional experiments demonstrated that the summed partial ionic conductances of Na and Cl calculated from the tracer fluxes were in close agreement with the measured GT. We conclude that the paracellular conductance of CCD is nonselective in character and approximately 1-2 mS/cm2 in magnitude.

Effects of inhibitors of Cl conductance on Cl self-exchange in rabbit cortical collecting tubule

Electroneutral vs. conductive pathways of Cl transport were examined by measuring transepithelial conductance (GT) and the lumen-to-bath 36Cl rate coefficient (KCl). Experimental conditions minimized both Cl-HCO3 exchange [HCO3/CO2-free, N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethane-sulfonic acid (HEPES)-buffered solutions] and the electrical driving force for paracellular Cl diffusion (amiloride in the perfusate, transepithelial voltage near zero). Two agents known to inhibit Cl conductances in other epithelia, anthracene-9-carboxylate (9AC, 1 mM) and diphenylamine carboxylate (DPC, 0.1-0.5 mM) reversibly reduced GT and KCl when added to the bath. Both reduced KCl to values consistent with paracellular diffusion. Bath DPC had no effect on GT in the presence of 4 mM lumen Ba2+, suggesting that the DPC-sensitive conductance is in series with an apical K conductance, i.e., resides on the basolateral membrane. Lumen DPC also reduced GT and KCl, but was less potent than bath DPC. Because the lumen DPC effect on GT was also blocked by lumen Ba2+, lumen DPC probably inhibits a basolateral Cl conductance. K removal and ouabain (0.5 mM) had no effect on KCl, suggesting that Cl tracer movement is not predominantly through the principal cell. We assume that these agents are inhibiting Cl conductive pathways and propose a model in which transcellular Cl movement through the intercalated cell occurs via an apical electroneutral entry step in series with a basolateral conductive pathway.

Temperature dependence of ionic transport and norepinephrine stimulation of rat aorta during DOCA hypertension

Temperature perturbation was used to determine whether increased turnover of Na, K, and Cl at 37 degrees C in aortas from rats made hypertensive with deoxycorticosterone acetate salt treatment (DOCH) reflects an increased number of transport sites that individually maintain relatively normal function. Decreasing temperature reduced the resting effluxes of 42K, 36Cl, and 24Na (active and passive) from control and DOCH in parallel fashion. The slope of the Arrhenius plots (activation energies) and the transition temperatures at which major changes in slope occurred were similar in controls and DOCH. In contrast to the results for resting effluxes, the temperature dependence for the effects of norepinephrine (NE) on contraction and on 42K and 36Cl effluxes in DOCH differed from controls. At 20 degrees C, the responses to NE were either abolished or greatly suppressed in DOCH, as compared to controls, while no significant differences between the two groups were observed at 30 degrees C. These results indicate that alterations in resting 42K, 36Cl, and 24Na effluxes in DOCH may result from an increased number of transport sites in the membranes of vascular smooth muscle. The concept that alterations occurred in the integral components of the membrane is also supported by the observation that increased resting 42K and 36Cl effluxes in DOCH at 37 degrees C persisted in aortas that had undergone cold storage for 2 days before incubation at 37 degrees C. The altered temperature dependence for the effects of NE on DOCH, compared to controls, indicates that the involvement of agonist-receptor-membrane events may be dissociated from the alterations in resting ionic fluxes.