Clearance of para-aminohippuric acid in wethers consuming locoweed.

AIM: To validate the use of para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) as a marker for measuring blood flow in wethers consuming a mixed diet of locoweed and blue grama hay. METHODS: Fourteen sheep, stratified by bodyweight (BW), were assigned to one of three treatments: 0.8 mg swainsonine (SW)/kg BW (HI), 0.2 mg SW/kg BW (LO), and no SW (Control). Sheep were fed various ratios of locoweed and blue grama hay to deliver SW treatments, for 28 days prior to infusion of PAH. Concentrations of SW and activities of alkaline phosphatase (Alk-P) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were measured to confirm exposure to SW and subclinical intoxication. A single 20-ml injection of 5% PAH was delivered into the jugular vein after subclinical intoxication had been achieved. Blood samples were collected and serum analysed for PAH immediately prior to injection, then every 5 min from 5-30 min, and every 10 min from 30-60 min, following injection of PAH. RESULTS: Effective delivery of SW was evident from the greater concentrations of SW measured in the serum of HI compared with LO animals (p<0.05). No significant differences were detected in the rate of elimination (range 0.097-0.108 L/min), elimination half-life (range 6.62-7.24 min), apparent volume of distribution for the central compartment (range 7.14-9.72 L), and clearance (range 0.73-0.92 L/min) of PAH, between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical intoxication with SW did not affect the pharmacokinetics of PAH. Thus, use of downstream dilution of PAH is a valid method to determine the rate of blood flow in nutrient flux experiments that involve consumption of locoweed.

Quantitative analysis of drug handling by the kidney using a physiological model of renal drug clearance.

Published data on the renal clearance of creatinine, p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and kanamycin in relation to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with various renal diseases were analysed by a physiological model of renal clearance. Fitting of the data by the general linear equation representing the model proposed by Levy [10] resulted in insignificant intercepts with the ordinate, indicating the unsuitability of the model for the detection of tubular secretory activity. Use of this model also did not lead to significant improvement in goodness of fit compared to simple proportionality of renal clearance and GFR. On the other hand, parameter estimates of the physiological model obtained from the data by nonlinear regression analysis revealed statistically significant tubular secretion both of PAH and creatinine. The much lower tubular secretory activity estimated from the kanamycin data did not reach statistical significance. For compounds exhibiting statistically significant tubular secretion, use of the physiologically based relationship between renal clearance and GFR significantly improved the goodness of fit to the data as compared to simple proportionality of both variables. It is concluded that analysis of the relationship between renal clearance of drugs and GFR using the physiological model of renal clearance can contribute to our knowledge of drug handling by the kidney, and may facilitate drug classification according to total extraction by this organ.

The secretion of organic acids and bases by the ovine fetal kidney.

Excretion of organic acids and bases was studied in twelve fetal sheep aged 120-140 days. There was no significant plasma protein binding of the organic anion, p-aminohippurate (PAH), nor of the organic cation, [14C]tetraethylammonium (TEA). There was a significant amount of acetyl-PAH (20 +/- 3%) in fetal urine but none could be detected in fetal plasma. The fractional excretion of unconjugated PAH was less than one, i.e. there was net reabsorption of 31.7 +/- 3.9% of the filtered load of unconjugated PAH. Since there was no acetyl-PAH in fetal plasma it is concluded that all acetyl-PAH in fetal urine occurred as a result of metabolism of PAH and secretion of the metabolite into the tubular lumen. The rate of excretion of acetyl-PAH in fetal urine varied from 0 to 14.0 micrograms min-1. Thus unconjugated PAH is filtered and there is net reabsorption; in addition, PAH is metabolized and enters the urine via tubular mechanisms. The fractional excretion of PAH was unaffected by I.V. administration of penicillin either acutely or chronically. The clearance of [14C]TEA was significantly greater than the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The mean fractional excretion of [14C]TEA was 5.4 +/- 0.17. Thus 80.7 +/- 0.63% of the excreted TEA was secreted. The clearance of TEA was related to body weight (P less than 0.001) but the fractional excretion of TEA declined with gestation age, probably because GFR increased at a greater rate than the rate at which the secretory pathways increase their activity. It is concluded that those pathways that excrete organic anions like PAH into the urine mature much later (probably after birth) than those pathways responsible for the tubular secretion of organic bases.

Urate and p-aminohippurate transport in the brush border membrane of the pig kidney.

The transport of urate and p-aminohippurate (PAH) across the pig renal brush border membrane was investigated using membrane vesicles. Compared to a pH equilibrium condition (pHin = 7.4; pHout = 7.4), an outwardly directed OH- gradient (pHin = 7.4; pHout = 5.8) stimulated markedly both lactate and pyrazinoate uptake with overshoots exceeding 2 times that of the steady state. In contrast, neither OH-/urate nor OH-/PAH exchange could be demonstrated. An outwardly directed Cl- gradient (Cl-in = 100 mM; Cl-out = 16.7 mM) increased 2.6-fold 15-sec PAH uptake compared to Cl- equilibrium (Cl-in = Cl-out = 100 mM) but this stimulation was due solely to an effect of membrane potential. Creation of an electropositive intravesicular space, by imposing an inwardly directed K+ gradient (K+in = 0 mM; K+out = 100 mM) in the presence of valinomycin, was very effective to drive uphill PAH and urate accumulation compared to the control condition (no valinomycin). Four-second potential-stimulated PAH uptake was saturable (Km, 0.8 mM; Vmax, 1.7 nmol/mg of protein x 4 sec). Different organic anions cis-inhibited both 4-sec potential-stimulated PAH and urate uptakes in a similar fashion. PAH and urate, moreover, decreased each other's accumulation. In countertransport experiments, PAH and urate uptakes were not significantly stimulated by trans-unlabeled substrate. These results are consistent with the presence, in the pig renal brush border membrane, of a mediated secretory pathway common for urate and PAH, which could be facilitated by the potential difference existing in vivo across the luminal membrane of the proximal tubule.

[Transport of drugs through human erythrocyte membranes. Change of transport by introduction of amino group or amino acids in benzoic acid].

The transporting properties of benzoic acid (BA) and its derivatives such as hippuric acid (HPA), p-aminohippuric acid (AHPA), N-benzoyl-beta-alanine (NBA), p-amino-N-benzoyl-beta-alanine (ANBA), N-benzoyl-6-aminocaproic acid (NBC), p-amino-N-benzoyl-6-amino-caproic acid (ANBC), o-, m- or p-hydroxybenzoic acid (o-, m- or p-HBA) and alpha- or gamma-resorcylic acid (alpha- or gamma-RA) through erythrocyte membranes were examined in two aspects of the inward direction from a drug-containing medium into the erythrocyte and the outward direction from the drug-containing erythrocyte to the drug-free medium. The significant difference in the rate of transport was observed between both directions. The introduction of a few methylene groups into the amino acid moieties of BA derivatives was slower in the rate of transport than that of more methylene groups. The rate of transport was slowed down by the introduction of amino group at p-position: NBC greater than NBA greater than HPA much greater than ANBC greater than ANBA greater than AHPA. The rate of transport in these drugs was correlated with the changes in partition coefficients. The same correlation was also observed in the drugs to which hydroxyl groups were introduced except alpha- or gamma-RA. This transport of alpha- or gamma-RA suggested the participation of the band 3 anion transporter protein.

Decreased transport of p-aminohippurate in renal basolateral membranes isolated from rats with acute renal failure.

Transport of D-glucose, p-aminohippurate (organic anion), and tetraethylammonium (organic cation) was studied in the renal basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from rats with acute renal failure (ARF). ARF was induced by a single injection of uranyl nitrate. Carrier-mediated transport of p-aminohippurate, estimated under anion-anion exchange condition, was significantly decreased in basolateral membrane vesicles isolated from ARF rats. In contrast, there were no significant differences in D-glucose and tetraethylammonium uptake between normal and ARF rats. When normal basolateral membrane vesicles were incubated in vitro with uranyl nitrate, no significant inhibition in p-aminohippurate uptake was observed. These results suggest that organic anion transport is decreased in renal basolateral membranes from ARF rats, and this transport dysfunction cannot be explained by the direct interaction of uranyl nitrate with the organic anion carrier.

Age dependence of renal function: clearance of iohexol and p-amino hippurate in healthy males.

Iohexol, a newly developed non-ionic contrast agent, has been recently documented as a reliable glomerular filtration marker. This study describes the age dependence of the single injection clearance of iohexol in a sample of healthy male volunteers ranging from 21 to 77 years of age. In parallel, renal plasma flow was studied by measuring the total clearance of p-amino hippuric acid administered as a continuous infusion. In subjects older than 50 years a negative correlation to age was found for both p-amino hippuric acid and iohexol clearance, with a reduction of 52 ml/min and 12 ml/min per decade, respectively, whereas no age dependence was found for younger subjects. Correlation between p-amino hippuric acid and iohexol clearances was 0.81. However, the filtration fraction, defined as the ratio of iohexol to p-amino hippuric acid clearance, was higher in the elderly subjects. A consistent discrepancy was found between total and renal clearances of p-amino hippuric acid, indicating significant renal metabolism. Renal clearance of creatinine was poorly correlated to iohexol clearance and did not show any relationship to age.

The influence of the lipid bilayer phase state on the p-aminohippurate (PAH) transport and the activity of the alkaline phosphatase in brush-border membrane vesicles from normal and mutant rats.

The kinetic parameters of p-aminohippurate transport and activity of the alkaline phosphatase were studied using brush-border membrane vesicles isolated from the kidney cortex of normal and mutant (strain of Campbell) rats. p-Aminohippurate (PAH) transport of both normal and mutant animals was carried out by the mechanism of facilitated diffusion. The apparent Michaelis constant at 36 degrees C was equal to 7 mM, the maximal rate of PAH transport was 15 nmol/min per mg protein and the constant of inhibition by probenecid was 0.5 mM for normal rats and, respectively, 29 mM, 62 nmol/min per mg protein and 1.4 mM for mutant rats. The Arrhenius plot for the PAH transport and activity of the alkaline phosphatase showed the breakpoints at 28-30 degrees C for normal rats and at 36-38 degrees C for the Campbell strain rats. The thermotropic phase transitions detected by the EPR method with 5-doxylstearate as a probe were recorded at 21-30 degrees C and 30-35 degrees C for normal and mutant rats, respectively. Therefore, characteristic features of the PAH carrier and alkaline phosphatase activity in normal and Campbell strain rats are determined by the difference in the phase state of their membrane lipid bilayers. We suppose that mutation in the Campbell strain gives rise to a membrane pleiotropic effect which enables us to understand the mechanism of genetic control of the lipid structure and membrane fluidity.

Post-transplant hypertension in the rat: effects of captopril and native nephrectomy.

In patients with well-functioning renal allografts, the presence of diseased native kidneys appears to be a common cause of elevated blood pressure. We evaluated the role of native kidneys in post-transplant hypertension using a rat model in which the confounding variables of rejection and immunosuppression could be eliminated. To produce disease in native kidneys. PVG rats were subjected to 5/6 nephrectomy. Four weeks following renal ablation, these hypertensive animals were transplanted with kidneys from syngeneic PVG donors. Four weeks later, the effects of captopril and native nephrectomy on blood pressure and renal hemodynamics were examined. Animals with remnant native kidneys which received non-rejecting renal isografts had sustained hypertension, elevated plasma renin levels and reduced transplant function. In these animals, administration of captopril reduced systemic blood pressure. Despite the reduction in blood pressure, PAH clearance by the transplanted kidney increased markedly while GFR rose modestly. Removal of the remnant native kidney also acutely lowered blood pressure. However, compared to captopril, native nephrectomy produced a more marked increase in GFR without significantly affecting renal blood flow. In this model of post-transplant hypertension in the rat, elevated blood pressure and reduced isograft function are mediated by the diseased native kidney, in part through the effects of angiotensin II. These data suggest that ACE inhibitors and native nephrectomy may have beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with post-transplant hypertension caused by native kidneys.

Differential effects of the degree of renal damage on p-aminohippuric acid and inulin clearances in rats.

Kidney disease is generally thought to affect all segments of a nephron equally. Bricker and co-workers first proposed this as the Intact Nephron hypothesis in 1971, and evidence to date has usually supported this hypothesis. However, most supporting studies have involved severe renal failure, which may not be suitable to differentiate effects on functional sites or to test the hypothesis. The work included here examines the effects of limited renal failure on two separate functions of the nephron: glomerular filtration, as measured by inulin clearance and proximal tubular organic anion secretory function, as measured by p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) clearance. Renal failure was induced in rats by intravenous administration of uranyl nitrate, a nephrotoxin. Doses used were 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg rat body weight. Five days later, rats were given an intravenous infusion of PAH and inulin. Renal clearance of each compound was calculated. Results obtained in these experiments show that, at the lowest uranyl nitrate dose, PAH clearance was significantly decreased but inulin clearance was not. The ratio of CLPAH/CLIN was decreased from 2.55 in control rats to 1.21 in rats given the low dose of nephrotoxin. At higher uranyl nitrate doses, both clearance rates were significantly decreased and the ratio of CLPAH/CLIN remained close to 1.0. These results indicate that the active transport functions of the nephron can be differentiated from passive transport functions. Caution should be exercised in extrapolating renal disease changes in active renal secretion to changes in passive renal elimination and the reverse.

[Polyfructosan and para-aminohippuric acid clearance, comparison of 2 methods for determining glomerular filtration and plasma renal flow]. / Clearance del polifruttosano e dell'acido para-aminoippurico, confronto di due metodiche per la determinazione della filtrazione glomerulare e della portata renale plasmatica.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and Renal Plasma Flow (RPF) were measured respectively, Polyfructosan and Para-aminohippuric acid clearances, in 13 patients with different degrees of renal insufficiency. Two different methods were used, the standard method and one without urine collection. The mean GFR (66.4 +/- 27.8 vs. 72.2 +/- 19.0 ml/m, r = 0.74) and RPF (431 +/- 204 vs 490 +/- 188 ml/m, r = 0.76) as well as Filtration Fraction (17.7 +/- 8.3 vs. 16.6 +/- 6.6%) were well correlated. These data show that within the normal range of GRF and RPF the method determining only plasma levels is as reliable as the standard method, giving the advantage to be less troublesome for patients and staff, requiring no bladder catheterization.

Contraluminal para-aminohippurate (PAH) transport in the proximal tubule of the rat kidney. IV. Specificity: mono- and polysubstituted benzene analogs.

In order to study the specificities of the contraluminal anion transport systems, the inhibitory potency of substituted benzene analogs on influx of [3H]PAH, [14C]succinate, and [35S]sulfate from the interstitium into cortical tubular cells has been determined in situ: (1) Contraluminal [3H]PAH influx is moderately inhibited by benzene-carboxylate and benzene-sulfonate, and strongly by benzene-dicarboxylates, -disulfonates and carboxy-benzene-sulfonates, if the substituents are located at positions 1 and 3 or 1 and 4. The affinity of the PAH transporter to polysubstituted benzoates increases with increasing hydrophobicity, decreasing electron density at the carboxyl group and decreasing pKa. Similar dependencies are observed for phenols. Benzaldehydes which do not carry an ionic negative charge are accepted by the PAH-transporter, if they possess a second partially charged aldehyde or NO2-group. (2) Contraluminal [14C]succinate influx is inhibited by benzene 1,3- or 1,4-dicarboxylates, -disulfonates and 1,3- or 1,4-carboxybenzene-sulfonates. Monosubstituted benzoates do not interact with the dicarboxylate transporter, but NO2-polysubstituted benzoates do. Phenol itself and 2-substituted phenol interact weakly possibly due to oligomer formation. (3) The contraluminal sulfate transporter interacts only with compounds which show a negative group accumulation such as 3,5-dinitro- or 3,5-dichloro-substituted salicylates. The data are consistent with three separate anion transport systems in the contraluminal membrane: The PAH transporter interacts with hydrophobic molecules carrying one or two negative charges (-COO-, -SO3-) or two or more than two partial negative charges (-OH, -CHO, -SO2NH2, -NO2). The dicarboxylate transporter requires two electronegative ionic charges (-COO-, -SO3-) at 5-9 A distance or one ionic and several partial charges (-Cl, -NO2) at a favourable distance. The sulfate transporter interacts with molecules which have neighbouring electronegative charge accumulation.

Probenecid infusion in mares: effect on para-aminohippuric acid clearance.

Para-aminohippuric acid (PAHA, 0.1 mg/min/kg of body weight) was infused IV into 2 mares, followed by concurrent IV infusion of PAHA and probenecid (0.075, 0.15, 0.25, or 0.35 mg of probenecid/min/kg). Probenecid infusion reduced the clearance of PAHA at serum probenecid concentrations greater than 55 micrograms/ml. At 12-hour intervals, probenecid (in 5 repeated doses - 50, 75, 100, or 200 mg/kg) was administered by gavage to 2 mares. Mean serum probenecid concentration was greater than 55 micrograms/ml for all dosages. At dosages less than 200 mg/kg, accumulation of probenecid in the serum was minimal from the 1st to the 5th dose. At a dosage of 200 mg/kg, probenecid accumulated in the serum from the 1st to the 5th dose. Intragastric administration of 5 doses of probenecid (75 mg/kg) at 12-hour intervals to 6 mares reduced the clearance of PAHA by 50%. Bioavailability of probenecid was 117 and 102% for 2 mares after a single intragastric dose, compared with a single IV dose.

Epinephrine and norepinephrine enhance p-aminohippurate transport into basolateral membrane vesicles.

The effect of exogenous l-norepinephrine (NE) and l-epinephrine (EP) on transmembrane transport of p-aminohippurate (PAH) was studied in rat proximal tubular basolateral membrane vesicles. A gradient of 50 mM Na+ (out greater than in) and preloading of vesicles with unlabeled PAH were utilized to promote the influx of [3H]PAH into the vesicles. At final concentrations of 1 microM, NE and EP each produced significant elevations in vesicle uptake of [3H]PAH. The enhancement of PAH transport by NE or EP was inhibited by either phentolamine (100 microM) or yohimbine (100 microM). Prazosin (100 microM) or atenolol (100 microM) were unable to inhibit the response to NE. Similarly, prazosin or propranolol (100 microM) were unable to inhibit the response to EP. Clonidine (1 microM) also produced a significant elevation of PAH uptake, an effect inhibited by both phentolamine and yohimbine. Basolateral Na+-K+-adenosine triphosphatase activity also was increased significantly by either NE or EP (1 microM). Both agonists produced significant elevations of PAH uptake into vesicles preloaded with ATP. However, in the absence of NE or EP, PAH uptake into ATP-loaded vesicles was not significantly greater than into control vesicles. It was concluded that NE and EP enhance Na+-coupled PAH transport and that this effect may be mediated by alpha-2 adrenergic receptors. Activation of Na+-K+-adenosine triphosphatase is a possible mechanism whereby adrenergic agonists may exert effects on Na+-coupled transport across the basolateral membrane.

Hormonal regulation of postnatal development of renal tubular transport processes.

Renal tubular transport of p-aminohippurate (PAH) is immature at birth. Repeated saturation of transport sites by treatment with various organic anions is without any influence on the postnatal development of kidney transport capacity. Hormonal regulation of postnatal maturation of PAH transport must therefore be taken into consideration. It was tried to stimulate immature PAH transport by treating rats of different ages with thyroid hormones, corticosteroids or testosterone, respectively. In rats with immature kidney function, renal PAH excretion can be stimulated by daily treatment with thyroid hormones. Experiments on renal cortical slices have shown that PAH excretion is preferentially stimulated by an increase of transport capacity. Whereas thyroid hormones stimulate the renal excretion of PAH both in young and in adult rats, dexamethasone treatment is more effective in rats with immature kidney function. Dexamethasone treatment is without any influence on PAH accumulation in renal cortical slices. Kidney weight and the protein content of kidney tissue was increased after dexamethasone treatment. Repeated testosterone administration did not stimulate the PAH transport in rats of different ages. The data have demonstrated the influence of thyroid hormones or of dexamethasone on renal tubular transport processes in rats with immature kidney function. Treatment with such hormones could be useful in the management of renal insufficiency in full-term and pre-term neonates with immature kidney function.

Organic anion transport by basal-lateral membranes: effect of PAH and furosemide on each other's transport.

The transport of organic anions by the kidney has been shown to be a carrier-mediated process. In an effort to learn more about this process, and examine the potential for two organic anions to compete for the same carrier site, studies were done which involved the transport of p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and furosemide by vesicles made from basal-lateral membranes of rabbit kidney proximal tubules. Basal-lateral membranes were prepared by differential and ultracentrifugation. The transport was measured by using radiolabelled (3H) organic anions. The transport of each molecule was inhibited by probenecid, indicating that the carrier-mediated process for organic anion transport was functional in these studies. The results indicate that transport of PAH can be inhibited by furosemide in a concentration-dependent manner. This may indicate competition for the same carrier site. Inhibition of furosemide transport by PAH was not significant, perhaps due to much variability in the data. This variability may be due to nonspecific binding of furosemide to the vesicle, higher affinity of furosemide than of PAH for the receptor, or to the presence of more transport carriers for furosemide than for PAH. Experiments were done to determine the extent of nonspecific binding of furosemide. The results show that nonspecific binding of furosemide is extensive, indicating that this may contribute to the differences seen in the inhibition of transport. The data suggest that PAH and furosemide are transported by a common carrier-mediated process in the proximal tubule of the rabbit kidney.