A suspension of cortical tissue fragments prepared by collagenase digestion of renal cortex obtained from fed and chronically acidotic (NH4Cl) rats was separated into four bands on a Percoll density gradient. By microscopic examination, vital staining with trypan blue, and histologic staining technique (periodic acid-Schiff) the F4 band was shown to contain only (greater than 98%) proximal tubules, whereas the F1 band was significantly enriched (70%) with distal tubules contaminated by glomeruli and short segments of proximal tubules. Intra/extracellular ratios for PAH of 15 were measured in the F4 band and of 2 in F1 band. ATP was 1.4 and 2.8 mumol/g in the F4 and F1 bands, respectively, and was stable for at least 60 min. The proximal F4 band was shown to be gluconeogenic (L-glutamine or L-lactate 2.5 mM as substrate) and to adapt to metabolic acidosis. The distal F1 band was shown to be glycolytic (glucose 2.5 mM) with no changes with acid-base status. All fractions were shown to metabolize glutamine, but the metabolic fate of this amino acid was different in proximal and distal structures. A F4/F1 activity ratio for the proximal cytoplasmic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase enzyme of 2.6 and 4.3 was observed in normal and acidotic rats, respectively. In contrast, a F4/F1 ratio of 0.13 and 0.22 was observed for the distal cytoplasmic hexokinase enzyme. This preparation, therefore, allows the metabolism of a homogeneous population of proximal tubular fragments to be studied and can be used to obtain information on enzyme location within the nephron.

Kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells have an extensive apical endocytotic apparatus that is critical for the reabsorption and degradation of proteins that traverse the glomerular filtration barrier and that is also involved in the extensive recycling of functionally important apical plasma membrane transporters. We show here that an Arf-nucleotide exchange factor, ARNO (ADP-ribosylation factor nucleotide site opener) as well as Arf6 and Arf1 small GTPases are located in the kidney proximal tubule receptor-mediated endocytosis pathway, and that ARNO and Arf6 recruitment from cytosol to endosomes is pH-dependent. In proximal tubules in situ, ARNO and Arf6 partially co-localized with the VATPase in apical endosomes in proximal tubules. Arf1 was localized both at the apical pole of proximal tubule epithelial cells, but also in the Golgi. By Western blot analysis ARNO, Arf6, and Arf1 were detected both in purified endosomes and in proximal tubule cytosol. A translocation assay showed that ATP-driven endosomal acidification triggered the recruitment of ARNO and Arf6 from proximal tubule cytosol to endosomal membranes. The translocation of both ARNO and Arf6 was reversed by V-type ATPase inhibitors and by uncouplers of endosomal intralumenal pH, and was correlated with the magnitude of intra-endosomal acidification. Our data suggest that V-type ATPase-dependent acidification stimulates the selective recruitment of ARNO and Arf6 to proximal tubule early endosomes. This mechanism may play an important role in the pH-dependent regulation of receptor-mediated endocytosis in proximal tubules in situ.

We have demonstrated previously that atria1 natriuretic factor (ANF) augments urinary, plasma and kidney cGMP levels but has no significant effect upon CAMP. Using cGMP as a marker, we searched for specific target sites involved in the action of ANF in the dog kidney, and observed no change of cGMP in the proximal tubules, a 2-fold increase over basal levels in the thick loop of Henle and a 3-fold elevation in the collecting duct. The most striking action on cGMP occurred in the glomeruli with a rise of up to 50-fold being evident at 1-2 min. after the addition of ANF. The results obtained in the absence or presence of a phosphodiesterase inhibitor support the notion that the effects of ANF were exerted at the level of guanylate cyclase stimulation rather than cGMP phosph~iesterase inhibition. The action of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a direct stimulator of soluble guanylate cyciase, differed from that of ANF. The ability of the factor to enhance cGMP levels was correlated with the distribution of particulate guanylate cyclase. This study identifies the glomeruli and the distal part of the nephron as specific targets of ANF and implicates particulate guanylate cyclase as the enzyme targetted for the expression of its action. Atria1 natriuretic factor Cyclic GMP Particulate guanylate cyclase Sodium nitroprusside GlomerulusTubule

We have compared the effects of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and i.v. nitroglycerin (ivGTN) on the haemodynamic response to phenylephrine-induced hypertension (PEHT) in anaesthetized pigs. PEHT did not change either pulmonary vascular resistance or gas exchange throughout all experiments. Both treatments lowered pulmonary arterial pressure to the same extent (-12.4% iNO; -13.7% ivGTN) and passively via an effect on left atrial pressure (-26.3% iNO; -31.4% ivGTN). Both treatments failed to reverse the decrease in renal blood flow (RBFc) induced by PEHT, but both increased urinary flow (UF) (+128% iNO; +148% ivGTN). IvGTN significantly increased plasma concentrations of nitrite and nitrate during (+22.7% arterial blood; +26.2% venous blood) and beyond the period of infusion (iNO: +6.4% and +4.9%, respectively). In four control pigs (no PEHT), iNO markedly increased RBFc (+109%), glomerular filtration rate (+72.5%) and UF (+68.7%). We conclude that iNO may have direct cardiac and renal effects, probably via intervention of NO carrier forms such as S-nitroso compounds.

Acute metabolic acidosis was induced by an i.v. administration of hydrochloric acid to dogs and rats to decrease the plasma bicarbonate concentration from 22 to 12 mM in dogs and from 26 to 10 mM in rats. Chronic metabolic acidosis was also induced in dogs by ammonium chloride feeding for 5 days. Rats also were given ammonium chloride for 24 hours. The renal metabolite profile was determined on the freeze-clamped renal tissue before and after 100 min (dogs) or 30 to 240 min (rats) of acsute acidosis. Measurements on chronically acidotic dogs and rats with 24-hour acidosis were obtained also for comparison with acute acidosis. In both species, kidney glutamine, glutamate, and alpha-ketokglutarate concentrations decreased drastically following induction of acute or chronic acidosis, In the dog, or in the rat during the first 2 hours of acidosis, malate concentration was unchanged. Malate concentration fell significantly in the rat kidney only after 2 hours of acidosis without change in phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) concentration. In chronically acidotic dogs, malate and oxaloacetate rose fivefold with no change in PEP concentration. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity was not stimulated by chronic metabolic acidosis in the dog in contrast to the rat. Acute acidosis by hydrochloric acid increased net renal glutamine extraction in the rat but not in the dog. These data suggest that an increased metabolic flux occurs between alpha-ketoglutarate and malate in both rat and dog kidney during acute metabolic acidosis. In the rat, however, after 2 hours, PEPCK activation modifies the kidney metabolite profile. Intrarenal glutamine transport seems to be a rate-limiting factor for adaptation to acute acidosis in the dog but not in the rat kidney.