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Showing papers in "American Journal of Physiology-renal Physiology in 1995"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigating the localization and regulation in the kidney of peptide-derived, affinity-purified polyclonal antibody to aquaporin-3 found that the expression of AQP-3 is regulated on a long-term basis, suggesting that this water channel is not regulated acutely through vesicular trafficking.
Abstract: The aquaporins are a family of water channels expressed in several water-transporting tissues, including the kidney. We have used a peptide-derived, affinity-purified polyclonal antibody to aquaporin-3 (AQP-3) to investigate its localization and regulation in the kidney. Immunoblotting experiments showed expression in both renal cortex and medulla, with greatest expression in the base of the inner medulla. Subcellular fractionation of membranes, using progressively higher centrifugation speeds, revealed that AQP-3 is present predominantly in the 4,000 and 17,000 g pellets and, in contrast to AQP-2, is virtually absent in the high-speed (200,000 g) pellet that contains small intracellular vesicles. Immunocytochemistry and immunofluorescence studies revealed that labeling is restricted to the cortical, outer medullary, and inner medullary collecting ducts. Within the collecting duct, principal cells were labeled, whereas intercalated cells were unlabeled. Consistent with previous immunofluorescence studies (K. Ishibashi, S. Sasaki, K. Fushimi, S. Uchida, M. Kuwahara, H. Saito, T. Furukawa, K. Nakajima, Y. Yamaguchi, T. Gojobori, and F. Marumo. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91: 6269-6273, 1994; T. Ma, A. Frigeri, H. Hasegawa, and A. S. Verkman. J. Biol. Chem. 269: 21845-21849, 1994), the labeling was confined to the basolateral domain. Immunoelectron microscopy, using the immunogold technique in ultrathin cryosections, demonstrated a predominant labeling of the basolateral plasma membranes. In contrast to previous findings with AQP-2, there was only limited AQP-3 labeling of intracellular vesicles, suggesting that this water channel is not regulated acutely through vesicular trafficking. Immunoblotting studies revealed that thirsting of rats for 48 h approximately doubled the amount of AQP-3 protein in the inner medulla. These studies are consistent with a role for AQP-3 in osmotically driven water absorption across the collecting duct epithelium and suggest that the expression of AQP-3 is regulated on a long-term basis.

395 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Osmotic regulation of inositol and taurine uptake also involves increased expression of specific transporter genes, and GPC is unique in that its level rises in response to high urea, as well as hypertonicity.
Abstract: Cells almost universally respond to the stress of long-term hyperosmolality by accumulating compatible organic osmolytes. This allows them to maintain normal cell volume without a deleterious increase in intracellular inorganic ion concentration. Cells in the renal inner medulla are exposed to variable concentrations of salt and urea that may reach molal levels. The organic osmolytes that they accumulate include sorbitol, betaine, inositol, taurine, and glycerophosphocholine (GPC). This review considers recent advances in understanding osmotic regulation of these substances. Sorbitol is synthesized from glucose catalyzed by aldose reductase. Hypertonicity elevates the abundance of this enzyme by increasing transcription of its gene. Betaine is taken up via a specialized transporter. Hypertonicity raises the number of transporters by increasing their transcription. Current studies demonstrate that the 5' regions flanking the aldose reductase and betaine transporter genes contain osmotic response elements that increase transcription in response to hypertonicity. Osmotic regulation of inositol and taurine uptake also involves increased expression of specific transporter genes. GPC is unique in that its level rises in response to high urea, as well as hypertonicity. GPC accumulation is mainly regulated by changes in its degradation to choline, catalyzed by GPC:choline phosphodiesterase. Numerous other genes, including those for heat shock proteins, are also induced by hypertonicity. Their regulation and their role in osmotic regulation are the subject of considerable ongoing research.

378 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The distinct location of both NOS isoforms in the cortex confirms that NO plays a crucial role in local glomerular signaling events in various animal species including humans.
Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is generated from L-arginine by NO synthase (NOS). We have investigated the localization of constitutive NOS isoforms in rat, mouse, guinea pig, rabbit, pig, and human kidney. NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d) reaction was used for histochemical detection of NOS enzyme activity, neuronal NOS (NOS I) and endothelial NOS (NOS III) were identified by specific antibody, and in situ hybridization was applied for NOS I mRNA detection. Strong presence of NOS I in macula densa (MD), previously detected in rat, was found in all species including humans. Additional NOS I-positive cells of the thick ascending limb (TALH) were defined. A clear-cut distinction between Tamm-Horsfall-protein-positive cells of the TALH and NOS I-positive cells of the TALH was shown. Ultrastructurally, NOS I was located in the cytosol. Intimate spatial relation between NOS I-positive cells and renin-containing preglomerular afferent arteriole suggests an effect of MD-derived NO on the juxtaglomerular granular cells. In the renal vasculature, both NADPH-d and NOS III were located in the endothelium of cortical and medullary vessels, whereas the muscle layer was unreactive. The glomerular arterioles showed stronger labeling in the efferent than in the afferent endothelium, and efferent endothelium selectively contained both NOS I and NOS III. The unique morphology of efferent endothelial cells indicates a particular role for NO in this vessel segment. At the capillary level, only the glomerular tuft showed NOS-positive endothelia. A subpopulation of renal nerves containing NADPH-d and NOS I was found in perivascular connective tissue and near pelvic epithelium. These results demonstrate a wide distribution of two constitutive NOS isoforms in the kidney of various animal species including humans. The distinct location of both isoforms in the cortex confirms that NO plays a crucial role in local glomerular signaling events.

374 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The assumption that VEGF and its receptors may influence renal ontogenesis is supported and the constitutive expression of V EGF in adult kidney may be required for the function of VEGf receptor positive-fenestrated endothelia in glomeruli and postglomerular vessels.
Abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may modulate vascular permeability, chemotaxis for monocytes, and protease activity. In addition, VEGF may play a role in embryonic and tumor angiogenesis. In fetal mouse kidney, VEGF mRNA and protein expression have been demonstrated. This finding led to the hypothesis that VEGF might be involved in renal growth and development. To further elucidate the role of VEGF in human kidney, expression of VEGF and its receptors, the specific tyrosine kinase receptors, fit-1 and KDR, were studied. In fetal (6-24 gestational wk; mesonephros and metanephros) and adult kidney, VEGF mRNA and protein could be colocalized in glomerular epithelia and collecting duct cells by in situ hybridization and immunohistology. By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, mRNA of three VEGF isoforms, VEGF121, VEGF165, and VEGF189, were found in fetal kidney and cortex, isolated glomeruli, and medulla of adult human kidney. KDR and flt-1 mRNA were coexpressed in endothelia of glomeruli and in peritubular capillaries in fetal and adult kidney. These data support the assumption that VEGF and its receptors may influence renal ontogenesis. We speculate that the constitutive expression of VEGF in adult kidney may be required for the function of VEGF receptor positive-fenestrated endothelia in glomeruli and postglomerular vessels. The expression of VEGF in collecting duct and of its receptors in medullary capillaries may in addition be relevant for maintaining medullary osmolality.

302 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A possible role for AQP4 in the basolateral exit of water from the IMCD is suggested, with strongest expression in the base of the renal inner medulla, with detectable levels also in the inner medullary tip.
Abstract: The aquaporins are a family of transmembrane proteins that function as molecular water channels. Recently, a mercurial-insensitive water channel [MIWC or aquaporin-4 (AQP4)] has been cloned, and it...

279 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicate that angiotensin II regulates nephrovascular development, a role that is conserved across species.
Abstract: To test the hypothesis that angiotensin II (ANG II) is necessary for normal embryonic and postnatal kidney development, the effect of angiotensin receptor blockade or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on nephrovascular development was studied in newborn Sprague-Dawley rats and in Rana catesbeiana tadpoles undergoing prometamorphosis. Blockade of ANG II type 1 receptor (AT1) in newborn rats induced an arrest in nephrovascular maturation and renal growth, resulting in altered kidney architecture, characterized by fewer, thicker, and shorter afferent arterioles, reduced glomerular size and number, and tubular dilatation. Inhibition of ANG II generation in tadpoles induced even more marked developmental renal abnormalities. Blockade of ANG II type 2 receptor (AT2) in newborn rats did not alter renal growth or morphology. Results indicate that ANG II regulates nephrovascular development, a role that is conserved across species.

259 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that ADM is present in renal glomerular and tubular cells and is a potent natriuretic peptide that may play an important role in the regulation of sodium excretion.
Abstract: Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a newly described 52-amino acid peptide originally isolated from extracts of human pheochromocytoma and, more recently, detected in human plasma. Based on the report that ADM mRNA and immunoreactivity are present in the kidney, the current study was designed to determine the renal distribution of ADM by immunohistochemistry and the renal biological actions of ADM. In the immunohistochemical studies, the present investigation demonstrated the localization of ADM in glomeruli, cortical distal tubules, and medullary collecting duct cells of the normal canine kidney. In the in vivo studies, ADM was administered (0.25 ng.kg-1.min-1 in group I and 1, 5, and 25 ng.kg-1.min-1 in group II) intrarenally in normal mongrel dogs with the contralateral kidney receiving only saline vehicle. Intrarenal infusion of ADM resulted in a marked diuretic and natriuretic response, whereas the contralateral kidney showed no renal effects. These significant natriuresis and diuresis in the ADM kidney were as...

239 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: AQP-1 expression in DTL segments is in exact concordance with the known water permeability characteristics, strongly supporting that AQP- 1 is the major constitutive water channel of the nephron.
Abstract: The localization of aquaporin-1 water channels (AQP-1) in nephron and vascular structures in rat kidney were characterized, because vascular bundles are known to play a key role in urinary concentration. Immunohistochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy were applied on thin cryosections or ultrathin Lowicryl sections, using an optimized freeze-substitution method. Within the vascular bundles, AQP-1 is localized in descending thin limbs (DTL) of short nephrons in apical and basolateral membranes. The expression in DTL of short nephrons is considerably lower compared with the expression in long nephrons, consistent with the known lower osmotic water permeability of this segment. Furthermore, DTL of short nephrons expressing AQP-1 continue abruptly into a thin limb segment without AQP-1. This suggests the existence of a novel thin limb epithelium in the outer medulla. Extensive expression of AQP-1 is observed in apical and basolateral membranes of DTL of long nephrons, which are localized in the periphery of the vascular bundles. The expression decreases along the axis of long nephron DTLs in correlation with the known water permeability characteristics of thin limb segments. DTLs of both short and long nephrons continue abruptly into thin limb segments without AQP-1 expression, revealing an abrupt cell-to-cell transition. In vasa recta, AQP-1 is selectively localized in the nonfenestrated endothelium of descending vasa recta, whereas the fenestrated endothelium of ascending vesa recta and peritubular capillaries do not express AQP-1. AQP-1 is localized in both apical and basolateral plasma membranes, which is logical for transendothelial water transport. Isolated perfused descending vasa recta display high water permeability, and, unlike sodium permeability, diffusional water permeability is partly inhibited by mercurials, thus substantiating the presence of mercurial-sensitive water channels in descending vasa recta. Thus AQP-1 is localized in DTL and descending vasa recta within vascular bundles, and AQP-1 expression in DTL segments is in exact concordance with the known water permeability characteristics, strongly supporting that AQP-1 is the major constitutive water channel of the nephron.

213 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The data indicate that PTH regulation of renal Na-Pi cotransport is determined by changes in expression of NaPi-2 protein in the renal BBM.
Abstract: The inhibitory action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on Pi reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule is accompanied by a specific decrease in Na-Pi cotransport at the apical brush-border membrane (BBM). It is not known whether this decrease represents decreased activity of Na-Pi cotransporters already present in the BBM or whether the number of cotransporters is decreased. The present study of the molecular mechanism of PTH action made use of a specific cDNA probe and antiserum to a rat renal Na-Pi cotransporter (NaPi-2). Three groups of rats were used: intact controls, chronically parathyroidectomized (PTX), and PTX rats treated acutely (2 h) with bovine PTH-(1--34). Na-Pi cotransport by isolated renal BBM vesicles was increased to 1,315 +/- 44 in PTX rats, compared with 721 +/- 94 pmol.mg-1.10 s-1 in controls (P < 0.002), and was returned to control levels by PTH. Western blots of these BBM showed that PTX caused a 2.8-fold increase in NaPi-2 protein content, which was reduced to control levels by PTH. Immunohistochemistry of perfusion-fixed kidneys showed NaPi-2-specific immunofluorescence exclusively in apical BBM of proximal tubules. Expression of NaPi-2 protein at these sites was increased in PTX rats and decreased after PTH treatment. Northern analysis of total RNA showed that the abundance of NaPi-2-specific mRNA was not changed by PTX but there was a small decrease in response to PTH. The data indicate that PTH regulation of renal Na-Pi cotransport is determined by changes in expression of NaPi-2 protein in the renal BBM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

193 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These experiments indicate that the TSC is expressed predominantly by DCT cells in both rat and humans, although expression extends into the CNT cells in humans, and shows that theTSC and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger are coexpressed by a subpopulation of D CT cells near the junction with the C NT.
Abstract: An electroneutral thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransport pathway (TSC) has been localized functionally to the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), although the TSC has also been detected in the connecting

191 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A full-length cDNA encoding the murine renal Na-K-Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) was cloned using library screening and anchored polymerase chain reaction and isoforms of NKCC2 that differed in the sequence of a 96-bp segment were identified in the mouse.
Abstract: A full-length cDNA encoding the murine renal Na-K-Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) was cloned using library screening and anchored polymerase chain reaction. The deduced protein sequence contained 1,095 amino acids and was 93.5% identical to rabbit NKCC2 and 97.6% identical to rat BSC1. Two potential sites of phosphorylation by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase and seven potential sites of phosphorylation by protein kinase C, which were previously identified in the rabbit and rat sequences, were phylogenetically conserved in the mouse. The expression of NKCC2 in the mouse was examined with Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization. Expression of NKCC2 was kidney specific in both adult and embryonic mice. In the developing metanephros, NKCC2 was induced at 14.5 days post coitus and was expressed in distal limbs of immature loops of Henle but was absent from the ureteric bud, S-shaped bodies, and earlier nephrogenic structures. Similar to the rabbit, isoforms of NKCC2 that differed in the sequence of a 96-bp segment were identified in the mouse. In situ hybridization revealed that the isoforms exhibited different patterns of expression in the mature thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle as follows: isoform F was most highly expressed in the inner stripe of outer medulla, isoform A was most highly expressed in the outer stripe of the outer medulla, and isoform B was most highly expressed in the cortical thick ascending limb. To verify that the isoforms were generated by alternative splicing of mutually exclusive cassette exons, genomic clones encoding murine NKCC2 were characterized. Cassette exons were identified that corresponded to each of the three isoforms and were flanked by consensus splice donor and acceptor sequences.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using approaches based on homology to ROMK1, two additional ROMK isoforms are identified, ROMK2b and ROMK3, and functional expression of these isoforms in Xenopus oocytes showed that they form functional Ba(2+)-sensitive K+ channels.
Abstract: The rat ROMK gene encodes inwardly rectifying, ATP-regulated K+ channels [K. Ho, C. G. Nichols, W. J. Lederer, J. Lytton, P. M. Vassilev, M. V. Kanazirska, and S. C. Hebert. Nature Lond. 362: 31–38...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Three molecules found in urine, nephrocalcin, uropontin, and citrate, each inhibited binding of COM crystals, whereas Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP) did not, suggesting that the glycosaminoglycan regulates cell-crystal interactions in a potentially reversible manner.
Abstract: Adhesion of urinary crystals to the apical surface of renal tubular cells could be a critical step in the formation of kidney stones. The interaction between renal epithelial cells (BSC-1 line) and the most common crystal in kidney stones, calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), was studied in a tissue culture model system. COM crystals bound to the cell surface within seconds in a concentration-dependent manner to a far greater extent than did brushite, another calcium-containing crystal found in urine. Adhesion of COM crystals to cells was blocked by the polyanion, heparin. Other glycosaminoglycans including chondroitin sulfate A or B, heparan sulfate, and hyaluronic acid, but not chondroitin sulfate C, prevented binding of COM crystals. Two nonsulfated polyanions, polyglutamic acid and polyaspartic acid, also blocked adherence of COM crystals. Three molecules found in urine, nephrocalcin, uropontin, and citrate, each inhibited binding of COM crystals, whereas Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP) did not. Prior exposure of crystals but not cells to inhibitory molecules blocked adhesion, suggesting that these agents exert their effect at the crystal surface. Inhibition of crystal binding followed a linear Langmuir adsorption isotherm for each inhibitor identified, suggesting that these molecules bind to a single class of sites on the crystal that are important for adhesion to the cell surface. Inhibition of crystal adhesion by heparin was rapidly overcome by the polycation protamine, suggesting that the glycosaminoglycan regulates cell-crystal interactions in a potentially reversible manner.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that administration of taurine, but not vitamin E, to rats with STZ-diabetes ameliorates diabetic nephropathy and is related to reduced renal oxidant injury with decreased lipid peroxidation and less accumulation of AGEs within the kidney.
Abstract: We examined the effect of two endogenous antioxidant agents, taurine and vitamin E, on renal function in experimental diabetes. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, rendered diabetic with streptozocin (STZ), ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that cyclosporin-related chronic interstitial injury is mediated by angiotensin II and that the mechanisms promoting the interstitial scarring can be dissociated from glomerular and tubular dysfunction in cyclospora nephropathy.
Abstract: The pathogenesis of renal scarring in chronic cyclosporin nephropathy is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the effects of renin-angiotensin system blockade by enalapril and losartan in a salt-dependent model of cyclosporin-associated chronic tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF). Rats kept on normal or low-salt diet were given cyclosporin, cyclosporin+enalapril, cyclosporin+losartan, cyclosporin+enalapril#losartan, or vehicle for 14 and 28 days. Cyclosporin reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in rats fed either diet, but only salt-depleted animals developed significant TIF. Cyclosporin also impaired renal concentrating ability and caused tubular enzymuria. Renin-angiotensin system blockade decreased blood pressure (BP) and promoted afferent arteriolar vasodilatation. Losartan reduced plasma renin activity and prevented cyclosporin-induced increment of cortical alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA. Renin-angiotensin blockade did not improve GFR and tubular function; however, it strikingly prevented TIF development, even in presence of very low BP. Rats treated with cyclosporin, hydralazine, and furosemide achieved BP values similar to losartan or enalapril groups, but there was no protection against interstitial fibrosis development. These results suggest that cyclosporin-related chronic interstitial injury is mediated by angiotensin II and that the mechanisms promoting the interstitial scarring can be dissociated from glomerular and tubular dysfunction in cyclosporin nephropathy.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Water channel AQP-CD plays an important role in water retention in pathological states of SIADH and liver cirrhosis, and the blockade of AVP action by OPC-31260 significantly diminished its expression.
Abstract: We determined whether aquaporin of collecting duct (AQP-CD) is involved in pathogenesis of water retention in rats with experimental models of syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) and liver cirrhosis. SIADH rats were made by administering 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) subcutaneously and providing them with a liquid diet. Serum Na levels decreased to 144% increases in its expression during the 14-day observation period. On day 7, the increased expression of AQP-CD mRNA was abolished after the administration of an antidiuretic, nonpeptide arginine vasopressin (AVP) antagonist, OPC-31260, which was closely related to a marked diuresis and a prompt normalization of serum Na levels in SIADH rats. Rats were made cirrhotic by injecting a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and olive oil subcutaneously for 3 mo. The expression of AQP-CD mRNA was increased by 164% in the decompensated cirrhotic rats. The blockade of AVP action by OPC-31260 significantly diminished its expression. These results indicate that water channel AQP-CD plays an important role in water retention in pathological states of SIADH and liver cirrhosis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the pH and ionic strength of the biotinylation buffer can dramatically affect biotin incorporation and that protocol-dependent variations in the recovery ofBiotinylated proteins can result in misrepresentation of the actual apical/basolateral distribution of a protein.
Abstract: Studies of epithelial membrane polarity have been greatly facilitated through the use of the N-hydroxysuccinimide-biotin surface labeling technique (M. Sargiacomo, M. Lisanti, L. Graeve, A. Le Bivi...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Development of kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-) mice was abnormal as reflected by a marked reduction of renal size in newborns compared with kidneys of bCl-2 (+/-) littermates, and metanephroi in vitro contained far fewer nephrons and had smaller nephrogenic zones.
Abstract: Apoptosis of the developing metanephric kidney plays an important role in renal organogenesis. The bcl-2 is an oncogene that inhibits apoptotic cell death in a variety of settings. The bcl-2 (-/-) mice complete embryonic development but, in contrast to bcl-2 (+/-) and bcl-2 (+/+) littermates, manifest growth retardation, hypopigmentation of hair, lymphoid apoptosis, abnormal kidney morphology, and renal failure postnatally. To provide insight into the mechanism for the latter abnormalities, we examined metanephric kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-), bcl-2 (+/-), and bcl-2 (+/+) mice, as well as embryonic day 12 (E12) mouse embryos, and compared growth and development of metanephroi in vitro. Kidneys from bcl-2 (+/-) mice developed normally. In contrast, development of kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-) mice was abnormal as reflected by a marked reduction of renal size in newborns compared with kidneys of bcl-2 (+/-) littermates. In addition, kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-) mice contained far fewer nephrons and had smaller nephrogenic zones. Although metanephroi obtained from E12 bcl-2 (+/-) and bcl-2 (-/-) mouse embryos were comparable in size, apoptosis of cells within metanephric blastemas of metanephroi from E12 bcl-2 (-/-) embryos was strikingly enhanced compared with that in blastemas of metanephroi from bcl-2 (+/-) embryos. During 3 days in culture, growth and development of metanephroi from bcl-2 (-/-) embryos were visibly reduced compared with those from bcl-2 (+/-) embryos.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The P2u class of nucleotide receptors is linked to mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ in many cell types, including the renal collecting duct cells, in this article.
Abstract: The P2u class of nucleotide receptors is linked to mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ in many cell types, including the renal collecting duct cells. In the present studies, we examined the effects ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is indicated that phosphorylation of tight junction and other proteins occurs during the formation of tight junctions in glomeruli under circumstances where there are rapid changes in epithelial cell shape.
Abstract: The slit diaphragms between the glomerular epithelial foot processes represent a variant of the tight junction that are rapidly replaced by typical tight junctions after perfusion with protamine sulfate (PS). To investigate the mechanism of signaling involved, tyrosine phosphorylation of glomerular proteins was analyzed in newborn, PS-treated, and control rats using antiphosphotyrosine immunoglobulin G. In glomeruli of normal adults, phosphotyrosine (Ptyr) staining was confined largely to mesangial cells by immunofluorescence, whereas in newborn and PS-treated rats, the Ptyr signal was dramatically increased in the glomerular epithelium. By immunogold labeling, it was found that newly phosphorylated proteins were concentrated along the newly formed tight junctions (cell-cell junctions) and the basal membrane of the foot processes (cell-matrix junctions). By immunoblotting, several prominent bands were detected with anti-Ptyr in glomerular lysates of controls; in PS-treated rats, additional bands were detected at 225, 180, and 100 kDa. The 225-kDa protein was identified as ZO-1 by immunoprecipitation with anti-ZO-1 followed by immunoblotting with anti-Ptyr. These findings indicate that ZO-1 is one of the targets for tyrosine phosphorylation after PS treatment. They indicate that phosphorylation of tight junction and other proteins occurs during the formation of tight junctions in glomeruli under circumstances where there are rapid changes in epithelial cell shape.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The transport of a fluorescent cyclosporin analogue was measured in killifish proximal tubules by means of epifluorescence microscopy and digital image analysis and the data are consistent with the fluorescent CyclosporIn analogue entering proximal Tubule cells by simple diffusion and then being pumped into the tubular lumen by P-glycoprotein.
Abstract: The transport of a fluorescent cyclosporin analogue was measured in killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) proximal tubules by means of epifluorescence microscopy and digital image analysis. Renal cells rapidly accumulated the cyclosporin analogue from the medium and attained steady state within 60 min; luminal fluorescence increased over the first 60-90 min. At steady state, luminal fluorescence intensity was two to three times higher than cellular. Cellular fluorescence intensity was a linear function of medium substrate concentration and was not affected by any treatment used. In contrast, luminal fluorescence exhibited a saturable component as the medium concentration of the cyclosporin was increased. Secretion into the lumen was blocked by metabolic inhibitors, vanadate, other cyclosporins, such as cyclosporin A and cyclosporin G, and substrates for P-glycoprotein (verapamil, vinblastine, and quinine) but not by substrates for the renal organic anion or organic cation transport systems, such as p-aminohippurate or tetraethylammonium. The data are consistent with the fluorescent cyclosporin analogue entering proximal tubule cells by simple diffusion and then being pumped into the tubular lumen by P-glycoprotein.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results demonstrate that the homeostatic, efficiency of the TGF system is reduced in diabetes and that this cannot be fully accounted for by changes in tubular reabsorption.
Abstract: We tested the hypothesis that the ability of the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) to stabilize renal function is impaired in rats with 7-8 wk of insulin-treated streptozotocin-diabetes. Proximal tub...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The macula densa is a regulatory site for renin and contains exclusively the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), suggesting NO could stimulate renin secretion through the macul densa pathway.
Abstract: The macula densa is a regulatory site for renin. It contains exclusively the neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), suggesting NO could stimulate renin secretion through the macula densa ...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The present review summarizes recent functional and structural evidence indicating that the kidney possesses at least one and probably more than one isoform of a proton- and potassium-activated adenosinetriphosphatase (H-K-ATPase)
Abstract: The present review summarizes recent functional and structural evidence indicating that the kidney possesses at least one and probably more than one isoform of a proton- and potassium-activated adenosinetriphosphatase (H-K-ATPase). Functional studies have examined in detail the mechanism of luminal acidification and K/Rb absorption by the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCD) from the inner stripe, a high-capacity distal site of urinary acidification. These studies indicate that the mechanism of proton secretion in this segment is similar to a model proposed for gastric acid secretion. Specifically, the profound effect of H-K-ATPase inhibitors or luminal K removal on net bicarbonate (HCO3) absorption indicates a major role for an H-K pump in luminal acidification by the OMCD. The importance of an H-K-ATPase is further supported by the finding that nanomolar concentrations of bafilomycin A1, which specifically inhibit vacuolar-type H-ATPase, have significantly smaller effects on net HCO3 absorption than do H-K-ATPase inhibitors. Studies on the perfused inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) and cultured IMCD cells also suggest a significant role for H-K-ATPase in luminal acidification by the IMCD. Evidence has accrued from studies in the cortical CD and OMCD that the mechanism of H-K-ATPase-mediated luminal proton secretion differs under K-replete and K-restricted conditions. In K repletion, luminal K ions transported by the pump recycle back into the lumen by a Ba-sensitive mechanism. However, in K restriction, the mechanism of the H-K-ATPase involves luminal proton secretion and K absorption that is insensitive to luminal Ba and, by inference, apical K recycling. Moreover, in K restriction, K/Rb absorption is inhibited by basolateral Ba, indicating that the pump operates to reabsorb K/Rb across the epithelium. The structural evidence reviewed here indicates the presence of mRNA within the mammalian kidney that is either identical or highly homologous to mRNAs for gastric and putative colonic H-K-ATPase alpha-subunits and gastric H-K-ATPase beta-subunit. Localization of these transcripts by in situ hybridization demonstrates gastric alpha- and beta-subunit mRNAs in intercalated cells of both the cortical and medullary CD, principal cells of the CD, and IMCD cells. Additional studies in transgenic mice indicate that regulatory sequences upstream to the H-K-ATPase beta-subunit gene direct transcription in both gastric parietal cells and the renal CD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The disappearance of AT2 mRNA in the kidney was synchronous with the completion of nephrogenesis and suggests that ANG II might act through this receptor as a differentiation/growth factor during nephron development.
Abstract: The angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors have been pharmacologically classified into two major distinct types, designated AT1 and AT2. A high transient expression of AT2 receptors in the fetal tissues has been previously demonstrated. This study describes the cellular distribution of AT2 receptor mRNA in the developing rat kidney and adrenal gland by in situ hybridization with 35S-labeled cRNA probes. From day 12 of fetal life (F12) to day 15 postpartum (D15) AT2 mRNA was detected in the undifferentiated nephrogenic mesenchymal tissue but not in the immature and mature glomeruli and tubules of the kidney. No AT2 mRNA was observed in the kidney after D22. The adrenal gland also expressed AT2 receptor mRNA early during development from F12 but, unlike the kidney, continuously expressed the mRNA at high levels through to adulthood. The disappearance of AT2 mRNA in the kidney was synchronous with the completion of nephrogenesis and suggests that ANG II might act through this receptor as a differentiation/growth factor during nephron development. In the adrenal gland ANG II could act as a hormone and also as a differentiation/growth factor via the AT2 receptor.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that intercalated cells are severely depleted and are replaced by principal cells in CAII-deficient mice, and the mechanism(s) responsible for this phenotype will be of importance in understanding the origin and development of intercalation cells in the kidney.
Abstract: The kidneys of mice (CAR2-null mice) that are genetically devoid of carbonic anhydrase type II (CAII) were screened by immunocytochemistry with antibodies that distinguish intercalated and principa...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is concluded that the V2 receptor mediates the hydrosmotic action of oxytocin in rat IMCD.
Abstract: We conducted this study to determine what receptor mediates the effect of oxytocin to increase osmotic water permeability (Pf) in the rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiments demonstrated that mRNA for both the oxytocin receptor and the V2 receptor is present in the rat terminal IMCD. In isolated perfused IMCD segments, we found that the V2 vasopressin receptor antagonist [d(CH2)5(1),D-Ile2,Ile4,Arg8]vasopressin, but not oxytocin receptor antagonists, blocked the hydrosmotic response to 200 pM oxytocin. The selective oxytocin receptor agonist [Thr4,Gly7]oxytocin did not increase water permeability. Oxytocin also increased urea permeability in IMCD segments. Studies in IMCD suspensions showed that oxytocin increases adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate production in a dose-dependent fashion with a half-maximal (EC50) response at 5.2 nM. The dose-response curves were virtually identical for IMCD suspensions from Sprague-Dawley rats and Brattleboro rats. The oxytocin dose-response curve was displaced to the right of the vasopressin dose-response curve (EC50, 0.44 nM). From these results, we conclude that the V2 receptor mediates the hydrosmotic action of oxytocin in rat IMCD.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is suggested that at low doses ET is natriuretic in vivo by decreasing proximal tubular reabsorption of sodium independent of ETA or ETB receptor activation.
Abstract: Endothelin (ET) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide of endothelial origin, which at low doses results in renal vasoconstriction and diuresis with variable actions on sodium excretion. The current study conducted in four groups of anesthetized dogs was designed to define the role of the ETA and ETB receptor subtypes in the renal actions of low-dose exogenous ET. Group 1 (n = 4) animals served as time controls. In group 2 (n = 6) a systemic ET-1 (5 ng.kg-1.min-1) infusion mediated renal vasoconstriction, antinatriuresis with increases in proximal fractional reabsorption of sodium, and diuresis with a decrease in urine osmolality. In group 3 (n = 6) intrarenal BQ-123 (4 micrograms.kg-1.min-1), a selective ETA antagonist, abolished the systemic ET-1-mediated changes in renal hemodynamics and unmasked a natriuretic action at the level of the proximal tubule. In contrast, the diuretic response of ET was not altered by BQ-123. In group 4 (n = 6) intrarenal sarafotoxin 6-c, a selective ETB receptor agonist, resulted in a diuretic response without a change in sodium excretion. These studies suggest that the ETA receptor contributes to the renal vasoconstriction, whereas the ETB receptor is largely responsible for the diuretic response during exogenous ET. This study also suggests that at low doses ET is natriuretic in vivo by decreasing proximal tubular reabsorption of sodium independent of ETA or ETB receptor activation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These experiments suggest that activation of PI-3-kinase is critical for c-met-mediated chemotaxis and tubulogenesis, and the pathways that mediate phenotypic changes in inner medullary collecting duct cells are altered by inhibited wortmannin.
Abstract: The association of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with its high-affinity receptor, c-met, has been shown to induce mitogenesis, motogenesis, and morphogenesis in renal epithelial cells (L. G. Cantley, E. J. G. Barros, M. Gandhi, M. Rauchman, and S. K. Nigam. Am. J. Physiol. 267 (Renal Fluid Electrolyte Physiol. 36): F271-F280, 1994), suggesting that HGF may be critical to the orchestration of both renal development and regeneration following injury. Although signal transduction pathways activated by c-met include the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3-kinase), phospholipase C gamma, ras, and others, the activation of PI-3-kinase has been the most striking in vivo. We therefore investigated whether the pathways that mediate phenotypic changes in inner medullary collecting duct cells are altered by inhibition of PI-3-kinase with the fungal metabolite, wortmannin. In these cells, the mean inhibitory concentration for in vitro wortmannin inhibition of PI-3-kinase was approximately 0.2 nM. At this low concentration, motogenesis (quantified by chemotaxis) and morphogenesis (by branching-process formation within collagen matrix) were inhibited in a striking and parallel fashion, while mitogenesis was inhibited to a lesser degree. These experiments suggest that activation of PI-3-kinase is critical for c-met-mediated chemotaxis and tubulogenesis.

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TL;DR: The overall nephron localization of ROMK mRNA shown in these studies is consistent with the possibility that this novel channel may represent the low-conductance ATP-sensitive K+ channel that has been identified in apical membranes of thick limb and collecting duct segments and is believed to participate in K+ secretion.
Abstract: The inwardly rectifying, ATP-sensitive K+ channel (ROMK) was localized by in situ hybridization in the rat kidney. Tissue in situ hybridization revealed that transcripts encoding the ROMK channel w...