The present observations suggest that the two receptors cubilin and megalin are both involved in the endocytic uptake of albumin in renal proximal tubule cells.

The steroid hormone aldosterone is important for salt and water homeostasis as well as for pathological tissue modifications in the cardiovascular system and the kidney. The mechanisms of action include a classical genomic pathway, but physiological relevant nongenotropic effects have also been described. Unlike for estrogens or progesterone, the mechanisms for these nongenotropic effects are not well understood, although pharmacological studies suggest a role for the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Here we investigated whether the MR contributes to nongenotropic effects. After transfection with human MR, aldosterone induced a rapid and dose-dependent phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2 kinases in Chinese hamster ovary or human embryonic kidney cells, which was reduced by the MR-antagonist spironolactone and involved cSrc kinase as well as the epidermal growth factor receptor. In primary human aortic endothelial cells, similar results were obtained for ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. Inhibition of MAPK kinase (MEK) kinase but not of protein kinase C prevented the rapid action of aldosterone and also reduced aldosterone-induced transactivation, most probably due to impaired nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of MR. Cytosolic Ca2+ was increased by aldosterone in mock- and in human MR-transfected cells to the same extend due to Ca2+ influx, whereas dexamethasone had virtually no effect. Spironolactone did not prevent the Ca2+ response. We conclude that some nongenotropic effects of aldosterone are MR dependent and others are MR independent (e.g. Ca2+), indicating a higher degree of complexity of rapid aldosterone signaling. According to this model, we have to distinguish three aldosterone signaling pathways: 1) genomic via MR, 2) nongenotropic via MR, and 3) nongenotropic MR independent.

Receptor‐mediated endocytosis is an important mechanism for transport of macromolecules and regulation of cell‐surface receptor expression. In renal proximal tubules, receptor‐mediated endocytosis mediates the reabsorption of filtered albumin. Acidification of the endocytic compartments is essential because it interferes with ligand‐receptor dissociation, vesicle trafficking, fusion events and coat formation. Here we show that the activity of Na+‐H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) is important for proper receptor‐mediated endocytosis of albumin and endosomal pH homeostasis in a renal proximal tubular cell line (opossum kidney cells) which expresses NHE3 only. Depending on their inhibitory potency with respect to NHE3 and their lipophilicity, the NHE inhibitors EIPA, amiloride and HOE694 differentially reduced albumin endocytosis. The hydrophilic inhibitor HOE642 had no effect. Inhibition of NHE3 led to an alkalinization of early endosomes and to an acidification of the cytoplasm, indicating that Na+‐H+ exchange contributes to the acidification of the early endosomal compartment due to the existence of a sufficient Na+ gradient across the endosomal membrane. Exclusive acidification of the cytoplasm with propionic acid or by removal of Na+ induced a significantly smaller reduction in endocytosis than that induced by inhibition of Na+‐H+ exchange. Analysis of the inhibitory profiles indicates that in early endosomes and endocytic vesicles NHE3 is of major importance, whereas plasma membrane NHE3 plays a minor role. Thus, NHE3‐mediated acidification along the first part of the endocytic pathway plays an important role in receptor‐mediated endocytosis. Furthermore, the involvement of NHE3 offers new ways to explain the regulation of receptor‐mediated endocytosis.

We used proximal tubule-derived opossum kidney (OK) cells to determine the dependence of albumin endocytosis on regulation by protein kinases and on the cytoskeleton. Uptake was observed only across the apical but not the basolateral membrane and exceeded uptake in collecting duct-derived Madin-Darby canine kidney cells 14-fold. Inhibition of endocytosis via clathrin-coated vesicles but not via caveolae abolished uptake. Cytochalasin D reduced uptake to < 5% of control, and inhibition of microtubule polymerization by nocodazole reduced uptake to approximately 55% of control. Activation of protein kinase A (PKA) by adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, forskolin, or parathyroid hormone (PTH) reduced uptake to approximately 65% of control. Protein kinase C (PKC) activation did affect uptake to a similar extent as PKA activation but with a certain delay. Stimulation of PKG by guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate did not affect albumin endocytosis. The inhibitor of tyrosine kinases (TRK), genistein, induced an increase of uptake to approximately 160% of control. Reexocytosis of albumin was enhanced by PKC activation but not by PKA activation. TRK inhibition reduced the rate of reexocytosis. We conclude that albumin endocytosis in OK cells requires the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton. Microtubules facilitate endocytosis. Uptake is regulated by PKA, PKC, and TRK, yet with different time course and by different mechanisms, e.g., reexocytosis. Possibly TRK activity serves in a negative feedback loop to limit albumin endocytosis via a stimulation of reexocytosis.

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