Kishore BK, Ecelbarger CM. Impaired natriuretic response to highNaCl diet plus aldosterone infusion in mice overexpressing human CD39, an ectonucleotidase (NTPDase1). Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 308: F1398 -F1408, 2015. First published April 15, 2015 doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00125.2014.-Extracellular nucleotides acting through P2 receptors facilitate natriuresis. To define how purinergic mechanisms are involved in sodium homeostasis, we used transgenic (TG) mice that globally overexpress human CD39 (hCD39, NTPDase1), an ectonucleotidase that hydrolyzes extracellular ATP/ADP to AMP, resulting in an altered extracellular purine profile. On a high-sodium diet (HSD, 3.5% Na ϩ ), urine volume and serum sodium were significantly higher in TG mice but sodium excretion was unaltered. Furthermore, TG mice showed an attenuated fall in urine aldosterone with HSD. Western blot analysis revealed significantly lower densities (ϳ40%) of the -subunit of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in medulla, and the major band (85-kDa) of ␥-ENaC in TG mice cortex. To evaluate aldosterone-independent differences, in a second experiment, aldosterone was clamped by osmotic minipump at 20 g/day, and mice were fed either an HSD or a low-sodium diet (LSD, 0.03% Na ϩ ). Here, no differences in urine volume or osmolality, or serum aldosterone were found, but TG mice showed a modest, yet significant impairment in late natriuresis (days 3 and 4). Several major sodium transporters or channel subunits were differentially expressed between the genotypes. HSD caused a downregulation of Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) in both genotypes; and had higher cortical levels of NCC, Na-K-ATPase (␣-1 subunit), and ␣-and ␥-ENaC. The Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) was downregulated by HSD in wild-type mice, but it increased in TG mice. In summary, our data support the concept that extracellular nucleotides facilitate natriuresis; they also reveal an aldosterone-independent downregulation of major renal sodium transporters and channel subunits by purinergic signaling. purinergic receptors; extracellular nucleotides; ectonucleotidases; nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1; aldosterone; sodium transporters EXTRACELLULAR NUCLEOTIDES (ATP/ADP/UTP), acting through type-2 purinergic receptors (P2), potentially regulate renal tubular transport of water and sodium, and thereby urinary concentrating ability (5,7,11,18,19,23,25,26,28,29,33,39). P2 receptor signal modulation is controlled by a narrow range of extracellular concentrations of ATP and related nucleotides, which are mediated through regulated release from cells and rapidly hydrolyzed by ectonucleotidases (10). Several types of ectonucleotidases exist, such as nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases), ectonucleotide pyrophosphatases (E-NPPs), alkaline phosphatases, and ecto-5=-nucelotidase (CD73) (24, 34).NTPDases are a family of membrane-bound enzymes that sequentially hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides and thus limit P2 receptor activities and desensitization. NTPDase1 is the same as CD39, a pu...