To determine whether mineralocorticosteroids and glucocorticosteroids have specific effects on colonic electrolyte transport, we compared the effect of aldosterone and RU 28362, a glucocorticoid receptor-specific agonist that does not bind to the aldosterone receptor, on unidirectional Na, Cl, and K fluxes across isolated mucosa of the rat distal colon. Continuous infusion of aldosterone for 7 d produced changes in four specific transport processes: induction of both active electrogenic, amiloride-sensitive sodium absorption and active electrogenic potassium secretion, enhancement of active electroneutral potassium absorption, and inhibition of electroneutral Na-Cl absorption, the predominant transport process in this epithelium. In contrast, continuous infusion of RU 28362 for 1-11 d produced a sustained increase in electroneutral Na-Cl absorption. This glucocorticoid receptor-specific agonist did not induce electrogenic sodium absorption nor affect either potassium absorption or secretion. These studies demonstrate that aldosterone (i.e., mineralocorticoid) and glucocorticoid receptors modulate separate and specific changes in active sodium and potassium transport. These results suggest that other glucocorticoids (e.g., dexamethasone, methylprednisolone) are not glucocorticoid receptor-specific and that their effects on electrogenic sodium absorption and potassium transport most likely represent the binding of these agonists to the aldosterone receptor.

Dietary sodium depletion increases electroneutral Na-Cl absorption and potassium secretion in the proximal colon of the rat. Although sodium depletion results in secondary hyperaldosteronism, the stimulation of electroneutral Na-Cl absorption is not a typical mineralocorticoid-mediated event. These studies were performed to determine whether the aldosterone or glucocorticoid receptor mediates these changes in electrolyte transport. Continuous infusion of aldosterone at 70 micrograms.100 g body wt-1.day-1 for 7 days resulted in a significant increase in net Na+ and Cl- absorption (5.5 +/- 0.8 and 5.9 +/- 1.0 mueq.h-1.cm-2, respectively). A 7-day infusion of RU 28362, a glucocorticoid receptor-specific agonist, at 70 micrograms.100 g body wt-1.day-1 similarly increased net Na+ and Cl- absorption (5.4 +/- 1.3 and 4.1 +/- 0.5 mueq.h-1.cm-2, respectively). Both aldosterone and RU 28362 produced a minimal increase in Isc (0.4 +/- 0.2 and 0.8 +/- 0.2, respectively). Administration of spironolactone prevented the stimulation of Na+ absorption induced by aldosterone but not that by RU 28362, and aldosterone but not RU 28362 stimulated active potassium secretion. These studies indicate that aldosterone mediates the stimulation of both electroneutral Na-Cl absorption and K+ secretion produced by dietary sodium depletion and that both aldosterone and glucocorticoid agonists each stimulate electroneutral Na-Cl absorption as a result of interacting with the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors, respectively.

Dietary sodium depletion increases plasma aldosterone level and, as a result, induces amiloride-sensitive electrogenic sodium absorption and electrogenic potassium secretion and stimulates Na+-K+-ATPase activity in rat distal colon, while inhibiting electroneutral sodium chloride absorption. To assess the events that occur as the aldosterone-stimulated colon reverts to normal, unidirectional 22Na and 36Cl fluxes were measured under voltage-clamp conditions across isolated distal colonic mucosa of rats that were initially dietary sodium depleted for 7 days and then sodium repleted for varying periods of time before the study. Within 8 h of dietary sodium repletion, plasma aldosterone level and Na+-K+-ATPase activity declined to normal, amiloride-sensitive electrogenic sodium absorption decreased by greater than 90%, and active electrogenic potassium secretion also decreased markedly. In contrast, electroneutral sodium chloride absorption did not completely return to levels seen in normal animals until approximately 64-88 h. These results demonstrate that maintenance of electrogenic sodium absorption and potassium secretion are directly dependent on elevated plasma aldosterone levels. The inhibition of electroneutral sodium absorption, although initiated by excess aldosterone, persists after normalization of the plasma aldosterone level, thereby implying that the inhibition is dependent on additional factor(s).