Cellular and molecular aspects of the renal effects of diuretic agents.

In the past few years, increased knowledge of the nature of transport proteins and their molecular regulation in the translocation of ions across kidney membranes has emerged. We are beginning to better understand the characteristics of the interaction of diuretics with these transport proteins. It is likely that this knowledge will permit further insight into nephron function regulation.

Effect of high-protein diet on renal concentration capacity in rabbits.

In the present studies, we have found that New Zealand White rabbits kept on normal rabbit chow (16% protein, LP) are unable to raise fractional free water reabsorption [TCH2O divided by glomerular filtration rate (GFR)] as the fractional osmotic load (Cosm/GFR) is increased. Acute administration of urea (400 mosmol/l) or indomethacin (10 mg/kg iv bolus, followed by 0.25 mg/min infusion) corrects the defect. Moreover, rabbits kept for 2 wk on a 40% protein diet (HP) showed marked improvement in their renal concentration capacity. Balance studies showed that, in rabbits on HP, urine prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) excretion was lower while GFR, urine urea, and osmolar excretion were significantly higher than in rabbits in the LP group. Medullary tissue electrolytes in the HP vs. LP group were as follows: urea, 1,035 +/- 90 vs. 790 +/- 60 mmol.l-1 x g wet tissue wt-1; tissue Na+, 548 +/- 96 vs. 298 +/- 37 meq.l-1 x g wet wt-1; and K+, 201 +/- 43 vs. 99 +/- 16 meq.l-1 x g wet wt-1. Also, medullary slices from animals on HP had a lower PGE2 synthesis than those on LP when stimulated with angiotensin II (ANG II). Papillary plasma flow (PPF) measured by the accumulation of 125I-labeled albumin, after infusion of vasopressin, was 13.7 +/- 2.0 in the HP group and 22.7 +/- 3.4 ml.min-1 x 100 g-1 in the LP group. These findings suggest that lower PPF and higher urea and electrolyte content in the medullary interstitium of HP intake results from inability to produce medullary PGE2 even during ANG II or antidiuretic hormone (ADH) stimulation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Chronic indomethacin increases rabbit cortical collecting tubule Na+-K+-ATPase activity.

To help determine whether prostaglandin-mediated inhibition of transport in the isolated rabbit cortical collecting tubule (CCT) is related to a suppression of sodium pump activity, adrenalectomized rabbits on replacement dexamethasone were treated for 3 days with vehicle or the prostaglandin inhibitor, indomethacin. On the day of death, rabbits treated with indomethacin had a significantly reduced urinary prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) excretion rate compared with vehicle-treated animals (107 +/- 7 vs. 415 +/- 129 ng.kg body wt-1.day-1, indomethacin vs. vehicle, P less than 0.05). In addition, CCTs obtained from indomethacin-treated rabbits had a significantly higher Na+-K+-ATPase activity than controls (2.66 +/- 0.33 vs. 1.17 +/- 0.33 mol Pi.kg dry wt-1.h-1, 37 degrees C, P less than 0.005); Mg-ATPase activity was invariant. Despite the elevated CCT Na+-K+-ATPase activity, there was no evidence of a sustained increase in Na reabsorption and/or K excretion by the kidney. Thus at death, the fractional excretions of Na and K, urinary Na/K ratios and plasma K values in rabbits given indomethacin were not significantly different from control values. There was also no evidence for a direct effect of either indomethacin or PGE2 on Na+-K+-ATPase activity when added directly to CCT broken-cell assays. Therefore in vivo chronic indomethacin administration leads to a rise in CCT Na+-K+-ATPase activity, which is coincident with a fall in urinary PGE2, suggesting that endogenous PGE2 may suppress the activity of this enzyme by a cell-mediated process.