Kortenoeven ML, Sinke AP, Hadrup N, Trimpert C, Wetzels JF, Fenton RA, Deen PM. Demeclocycline attenuates hyponatremia by reducing aquaporin-2 expression in the renal inner medulla. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 305: F1705-F1718, 2013. First published October 23, 2013 doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00723.2012.-Binding of vasopressin to its type 2 receptor in renal collecting ducts induces cAMP signaling, transcription and translocation of aquaporin (AQP)2 water channels to the plasma membrane, and water reabsorption from the prourine. Demeclocycline is currently used to treat hyponatremia in patients with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Demeclocycline's mechanism of action, which is poorly understood, is studied here. In mouse cortical collecting duct (mpkCCD) cells, which exhibit deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (dDAVP)-dependent expression of endogenous AQP2, demeclocycline decreased AQP2 abundance and gene transcription but not its protein stability. Demeclocycline did not affect vasopressin type 2 receptor localization but decreased dDAVP-induced cAMP generation and the abundance of adenylate cyclase 3 and 5/6. The addition of exogenous cAMP partially corrected the demeclocycline effect. As in patients, demeclocycline increased urine volume, decreased urine osmolality, and reverted hyponatremia in an SIADH rat model. AQP2 and adenylate cyclase 5/6 abundances were reduced in the inner medulla but increased in the cortex and outer medulla, in the absence of any sign of toxicity. In conclusion, our in vitro and in vivo data indicate that demeclocycline mainly attenuates hyponatremia in SIADH by reducing adenylate cyclase 5/6 expression and, consequently, cAMP generation, AQP2 gene transcription, and AQP2 abundance in the renal inner medulla, coinciding with a reduced vasopressin escape response in other collecting duct segments. aquaporin 2; collecting duct; demeclocycline; syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion; vasopressin THE KIDNEY is the main organ for the regulation of water homeostasis. In states of hypernatremia or hypovolemia, the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) is released from the pituitary and binds to the vasopressin type 2 receptor (V2R), which is expressed in the basolateral membrane of renal collecting duct principal cells (48). Activated V2R increases intracellular cAMP levels via G s protein and adenylate cyclase (AC), which eventually leads to the activation of PKA and subsequent phosphorylation of aquaporin (AQP)2 water channels (19,29). This results in the redistribution of AQP2 from intracellular vesicles to the apical membrane (19,29,46,72). Driven by the transcellular osmotic gradient, water enters principal cells through AQP2 and exits cells through AQP3 or AQP4, which are located in the basolateral membrane, resulting in concentrated urine. In addition, AVP also increases the expression of AQP2 via the phosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element-binding protein, which binds and activates transcription via a cAMP-responsive element in the A...