Bezerra CN, Girardi AC, Carraro-Lacroix LR, Rebouças NA. Mechanisms underlying the long-term regulation of NHE3 by parathyroid hormone. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 294: F1232-F1237, 2008. First published March 5, 2008 doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00025.2007The activity of the Na ϩ /H ϩ exchanger NHE3 is regulated by a number of factors including parathyroid hormone (PTH). In the current study, we used a renal epithelial cell line, the opossum kidney (OKP) cell, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the long-term effects of PTH on NHE3 transport activity and expression. We observed that NHE3 activity was reduced 6 h after addition of PTH, and this reduction persisted almost unaltered after 24 h. The decrease in activity was associated with diminished NHE3 cell surface expression at 6, 16, and 24 h after PTH addition, total cellular NHE3 protein at 16 and 24 h, and NHE3 mRNA abundance at 24 h. The lower levels of NHE3 mRNA were associated to a small, but significant, decrease in mRNA stability. Additionally, by analyzing the rat NHE3 gene promoter activity in OKP cells, we verified that the regulatory region spanning the segment Ϫ152 to ϩ55 was mildly reduced under the influence of PTH. This effect was completely abolished by the presence of the PKA inhibitor KT 5720. In conclusion, long-term exposure to PTH results in reduction of NHE3 mRNA levels due to a PKA-dependent inhibitory effect on the NHE3 promoter and a small reduction of mRNA half-life, and decrease in the total amount of protein which is preceded by endocytosis of the apical surface NHE3. The decreased NHE3 expression is likely to be responsible for the reduction of sodium, bicarbonate, and fluid reabsorption in the proximal tubule consistently perceived in experimental models of PTH disorders.
Naϩ /H ϩ exchange; proximal tubule; hyperparathyroidism; surface expression; promoter activity THE HUMAN BODY has a remarkable ability to maintain precise control of its acid-base and volume status. Although multiple mechanisms throughout the body contribute to this process, the renal proximal tubule plays a fundamental role, since it is responsible for reabsorption of the majority of the filtered sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, and water. Two-thirds of the transcellular NaHCO 3 reabsorption are mediated by proton secretion through the apical membrane Na ϩ /H ϩ exchanger, NHE3 (4, 21), and most of NaCl reabsorption is indirectly related to it. This transporter thereby plays an important role in the maintenance of fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, and its activity is regulated in response to a wide variety of acute and chronic changes in physiological parameters (29,(31)(32)(33).The kidney is one of the major target organs for parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH, the primary regulator of serum calcium and phosphate homeostasis, acts on the proximal tubule, the thick ascending limb, and the distal convoluted tubule to alter urinary electrolyte and fluid excretion (1,2,7,14,15,17). PTH has a potent inhibitory effect on NHE3. The acute inhibition of NHE3 by PTH has be...