No abstract

In renal A6 epithelia, an acute hypotonic shock evokes a transient increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) through a mechanism that is sensitive to the P2 receptor antagonist suramin, applied to the basolateral border only. This finding has been further characterized by examining ATP release across the basolateral membrane with luciferin‐luciferase (LL) luminescence. Polarized epithelial monolayers, cultured on permeable supports were mounted in an Ussing‐type chamber. We developed a LL pulse protocol to determine the rate of ATP release (RATP) in the basolateral compartment. Therefore, the perfusion at the basolateral border was repetitively interrupted during brief periods (90 s) to measure RATP as the slope of the initial rise in ATP content detected by LL luminescence. Under isosmotic conditions, 1 μl of A6 cells released ATP at a rate of 66 ± 8 fmol min−1. A sudden reduction of the basolateral osmolality from 260 to 140 mosmol (kg H2O)−1 elevated RATP rapidly to a peak value of 1.89 ± 0.11 pmol min−1 (RATPpeak) followed by a plateau phase reaching 0.51 ± 0.07 pmol min−1 (RATPplat). Both RATPpeak and RATPplat values increased with the degree of dilution. The magnitude of RATPplat remained constant as long as the hyposmolality was maintained. Similarly, a steady ATP release of 0.78 ± 0.08 pmol min−1 was recorded after gradual dilution of the basolateral osmolality to 140 mosmol (kg H2O)−1. This RATP value, induced in the absence of cell swelling, is comparable to RATPplat. Therefore, the steady ATP release is unrelated to membrane stretching, but possibly caused by the reduction of intracellular ionic strength during cell volume regulation. Independent determinations of dose‐response curves for peak [Ca2+]i increase in response to exogenous ATP and basolateral hyposmolality demonstrated that the exogenous ATP concentration, required to mimic the osmotic reduction, was linearly correlated with RATPpeak. The link between the ATP release and the fast [Ca2+]i transient was also demonstrated by the depression of both phenomena by Cl− removal from the basolateral perfusate. The data are consistent with the notion that during hypotonicity, basolateral ATP release activates purinergic receptors, which underlies the suramin‐sensitive rise of [Ca2+]i during the hyposmotic shock.

A sine wave method was used to measure transepithelial capacitance (CT) at 4.1 kHz (CHFT ). Model calculations show that CHFT reflects the equivalent capacitance of the series arrangement of apical and basolateral membrane capacitance. Cell swelling induced by reducing the basolateral osmolality from 260 to 140 mosmol/kg H2O (NaCl or sucrose removal) transiently decreased CHFT. The decrease in CHFT (DeltaCHFT ) reached its maximum 30 s after the onset of cell swelling and a complete recovery of CHFT was attained within 3-4 min. DeltaCHFT could be diminished by manoeuvres that reduced the rate or amplitude of cell swelling, i.e. lowering the temperature or treatment with low concentrations of glutaraldehyde (0.025%). DeltaCHFT increased with the magnitude of the osmotic perturbation but saturated at large volume expansions. DeltaCHFT increased with culture time. Electron micrographs showed a clear correlation between time course of CHFT changes and the closure of the lateral interspace (LIS). A striking correlation between the occurrence of CHFT recovery and the ability of the cells to develop a regulatory volume decrease (RVD) was found: Gd3+ (0.5 mM) inhibited both phenomena. The frequency dependence of CT was obtained from impedance spectra recorded over the range of 4 Hz to 22 kHz. These data agree with model calculations in which the contribution of the access resistance to the lateral membrane was included. All observations are consistent with the idea that DeltaCHFT originates from the closure of the LIS during cell swelling. The latter phenomenon increases the access resistance to the lateral membrane, which results in a marked reduction of the basolateral membrane area detected at high frequencies with capacitance measurements.

Changes in volume of A6 epithelial cells were monitored by recording cell thickness (Tc). The response of Tc to a reduction of the basolateral osmolality from 260 to 140 mosmol/kg was recorded while transepithelial Na+ transport was inhibited by 20 microM amiloride. With Cl--containing bathing media, this osmotic challenge elicited a rapid rise in Tc followed by a regulatory volume decrease (RVD). Substitution of SO4(2-) or gluconate for Cl- markedly reduced the RVD, whereas cells completely maintained their ability to regulate their volume after replacing Cl- by NO3(-). A conductive pathway for Cl- excretion is suggested, which is insensitive to NPPB [5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid], an inhibitor of some types of Cl- channels. Ba2+ (5 or 20 mM) reduced the RVD. A more pronounced inhibition of the RVD was obtained with 500 microM quinine, a potent blocker of volume-activated K+ channels. K+-induced depolarization of the basolateral membranes of tissues incubated with SO4(2-)-containing solutions completely abolished the RVD. Noise analysis in the presence of Ba2+ showed the activation of an apical K+ conductive pathway. These results demonstrate that cell volume regulation is controlled by processes involving Cl- and K+ excretion through conductive pathways.

Polarized renal A6 epithelia respond to hyposmotic shock with an increase in transepithelial capacitance (CT) that is inhibited by extracellular Mg2+. Elevation of free cytosolic [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i) is known to increase CT. Therefore, we examined [Ca2+]i dynamics and their sensitivity to extracellular Mg2+ during hyposmotic conditions. Fura‐2‐loaded A6 monolayers, cultured on permeable supports were subjected to a sudden reduction in osmolality at both the basolateral and apical membranes from 260 to 140 mosmol (kg H2O)−1. Reduction of apical osmolality alone did not affect [Ca2+]i. In the absence of extracellular Mg2+, the hyposmotic shock induced a biphasic rise in [Ca2+]i. The first phase peaked within 40 s and [Ca2+]i increased from 245 ± 12 to 606 ± 24 nm. This phase was unaffected by removal of extracellular Ca2+, but was abolished by activating P2Y receptors with basolateral ATP or by exposing the cells to the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122 prior to the osmotic shock. Suramin also severely attenuated this first phase, suggesting that the first phase of the [Ca2+]i rise followed swelling‐induced ATP release. The PLC inhibitor, the ATP treatment or suramin did not affect a second rise of [Ca2+]i to a maximum of 628 ± 31 nm. The second phase depended on Ca2+ in the basolateral perfusate and was largely suppressed by 2 mm basolateral Mg2+. Acute exposure of the basolateral membrane to Mg2+ during the upstroke of the second phase caused a rapid decline in [Ca2+]i. Basolateral Mg2+ inhibited Ca2+ entry in a dose‐dependent manner with an inhibition constant (Ki) of 0.60 mm. These results show that polarized A6 epithelia respond to hyposmotic shock by Ca2+ release from inositol trisphosphate‐sensitive stores, followed by basolateral Ca2+ influx through a Mg2+‐sensitive pathway. The second phase of the [Ca2+]i response is independent of the initial intracellular Ca2+ release and therefore constitutes non‐capacitative Ca2+ entry.