Response of Renal Intercalated Cells to Dietary Potassium Intake

Abstract

Compared to ancient humans who consumed enough potassium (K+ ), modern humans seem to have taken in inadequate K+ . The renal collecting duct plays an important role in regulating K+ homeostasis. There are at least three different types of cells in the collecting duct. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of dietary K+ intake on collecting duct intercalated cells. C57BL/6 mice had free access to a control (1%), low (<0.01%), or high (5%) K+ diet for 1 week. Kidney tissue were processed for immunohistochemistry, light microscopy, and image analysis. Excessive dietary K+ intake or deficiency significantly changed blood K+ concentrations in mice. The size of type A intercalated cells increased by about 1.6 times in the low K+ group and decreased in the high K+ group. Conversely, the size of type B intercalated cells decreased in the low K+ group and increased in the high K+ group. The response of NANB cells to dietary K+ intake was generally similar to that of type B cells. These results demonstrated that renal intercalated cells vary greatly with dietary K+ intake. The structural changes in response to K+ imbalance may be closely related to cardiovascular and renal disorders in modern humans.