Brush-border and basolateral membrane vesicles (BBMV and BLMV, respectively) were prepared from chick kidney by a calcium precipitation method and by centrifugation on an 8% Percoll self-generating gradient, respectively. In BBMV a 100-mM Na gluconate gradient, out greater than in, caused concentrative sulfate uptake approximately fivefold greater at 1 min than at 60 min (equilibrium) whether or not the membranes were short-circuited with 100 mM K gluconate, in = out, plus 20 micrograms valinomycin/mg protein. A 48-mM HCO3- gradient, in greater than out, stimulated a 2.5-fold higher uptake at 1 min than at 60 min, and short circuiting as above had no effect on the magnitude of this response. Imposition of a H+ gradient (pH 5.4 out vs. pH 7.4 in) caused concentrative uptake fourfold higher at 1 min than at equilibrium. Short circuiting as above or addition of 0.1 mM carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) significantly inhibited the pH gradient effect. Creation of an inside positive electrical potential with 100 mM K gluconate, out greater than in, plus valinomycin, also caused concentrative sulfate uptake. The K gradient in the absence of valinomycin had no effect on sulfate uptake (compared with isosmotic mannitol). Based on inhibitor/competitor effects, these are distinct sulfate transport processes. In chick BLMV, imposition of an HCO3- gradient, in greater than out, produced concentrative sulfate uptake; however, neither Na+ nor H+ gradients had significant effects at 15 s. 4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene 2,2'-disulfonic acid disodium at 0.1 mM was an effective inhibitor of BLMV bicarbonate-sulfate exchange; however, neither Cl-, SCN-, nor CCCP inhibited.

To examine the effect of glucocorticoids on sulfate transport by the chick (domestic Gallus gallus) renal tubule we dosed 3-wk-old animals with 60 micrograms dexamethasone/100 g body wt at 24 and 6 h before isolation of renal brush-border (BBM) and basolateral membranes (BLM). Dexamethasone treatment significantly reduced Na-dependent sulfate transport by BBM and had no effect in paired membranes on bicarbonate, proton, or electrical gradient-driven sulfate transport. The glucocorticoid treatment had no statistically significant effect on HCO3-SO4 exchange in the BLM. Kinetic analysis of the dexamethasone effect on the Na-SO4 transport process showed that apparent Vmax was significantly decreased to almost one-half that seen in controls (from 676 to 348 pmol.mg protein-1.5 s-1). The Km in control BBM was 0.40 +/- 0.095 mM and was not significantly different in dexamethasone-treated membranes (0.53 +/- 0.094 mM). To determine whether the dexamethasone-induced decrease in Na-SO4 transport by BBM was indirectly caused by stimulation of Na-H exchange and more rapid dissipation of the initial Na gradient used to drive sulfate uptake, we examined the effect of 0.1 mM amiloride on Na-SO4 uptake by BBM. With amiloride present, dexamethasone treatment caused Vmax to significantly drop from 1,102 to 660 pmol.mg protein-1.5 s-1. Amiloride had no statistically significant effect on the Km. The extent to which amiloride increased Na-SO4 transport and blocked 22Na uptake by BBM did not appear to be related to hormone treatment. The data indicate that glucocorticoids may participate in the regulation of sulfate excretion.