Abstract P607: Nitric Oxide (NO) Regulates Paracellular Permselectivity in Isolated, Perfused Rat Thick Ascending Limbs through Claudin-19

Abstract

About 50% of the Na reabsorbed in thick ascending limbs (TALs) traverses the paracellular pathway. The ionic selectivity of this route is regulated by claudins in the tight junctions. TALs express claudin-19 which has been reported to regulate TAL Na permeability. We showed that nitric oxide (NO) decreases Na/Cl permeability ratio (PNa/PCl) in TALs by increasing the absolute permeabilities of both ions though PCl increased more. However, whether NO affects paracellular permeability via claudin-19 is unknown. We hypothesize that NO regulates the paracellular permselectivity in TALs through this claudin. To test this we perfused TALs from Sprague Dawley rats and measured dilution potentials (a measure of permselectivity) with and without exogenously-added or endogenously-produced NO in the presence or absence of an antibody against an extracellular domain of claudin-19 or Tamm-Horsfall protein (control). Dilution potentials were generated by reducing bath NaCl from 141 to 32 mM. For the NO donor spermine NONOate (SPM): during the control period, the dilution potential was -9.3 ± 1.8 mV. After SPM (200 μM), it was -6.7 ± 1.6 mV (n = 6; p < 0.003). In the presence of the claudin-19 antibody, SPM had no significant effect on dilution potentials (claudin-19 antibody alone: -12.7 ± 2.1 mV vs claudin-19 antibody + SPM: -12.9 ± 2.4 mV; n = 6). The claudin-19 antibody alone had no effect on dilution potentials. In the presence of the Tamm-Horsfall protein, the effect of SPM was still present (Tamm-Horsfall protein antibody alone: -9.7 ± 1.0 mV; Tamm-Horsfall protein antibody + SPM: -6.3 ± 1.1 mV, p<0.006, n = 6). For experiments with endogenously-produced NO, L-arginine the substrate for NO synthase was added. During the control period, the dilution potential was -11.0 ± 1.1 mV. After L-arginine (500 μM) treatment, they were -9.0 ± 1.2 mV (n = 9; p < 0.05). In the presence of the claudin-19 antibody, L-arginine had no significant effect on dilution potentials (claudin-19 antibody alone: -10.1 ± 0.9 mV vs claudin-19 antibody + L-arginine: -10.1 ± 1.0 mV; n = 9). In the presence of the Tamm-Horsfall protein, the effect of L-arginine was still present. We conclude that the actions of NO on the paracellular permselectivity in thick ascending limbs are at least in part mediated by claudin-19.