Cellular Action Of Vasopressin Research Articles

CAMP-binding proteins in medullary tubules from rat kidney: effect of ADH

Little is known of the regulatory steps in the cellular action of vasopressin (AVP) on the renal epithelium, subsequent to the cAMP generation. We studied cAMP-binding proteins in the medullary collecting tubule (MCT) and the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (MTAL) microdissected from the rat kidney by use of photoaffinity labeling. Microdissected tubules were homogenized and photoaffinity labeled by incubation with 1 microM 32P-labeled 8-azido-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (N3-8-[32P]-cAMP); the incorporated 32P was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. Both in MCT and MTAL preparations, the analyses showed incorporation of N3-8-[32P]cAMP into two bands (Mr = 49,000 and Mr = 55,000) that comigrated with standards of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunits RI and RII. In MCT, most of the 32P (80%) was incorporated into RI, whereas in MTAL the 32P incorporated into RI and RII was equivalent. When freshly dissected MCT segments were incubated with 10(-12)-10(-6) M AVP, the subsequent photoaffinity labeling of RI with N3-8-[32P]cAMP was markedly diminished in a dose-dependent manner compared with controls. Our results suggest that cAMP binds in MCT and MTAL to regulatory subunits RI and RII of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. However, in MCT the dominant type of cAMP-dependent protein kinase appears to be type I. The outlined procedure is suitable to indirectly measure the occupancy of RI by endogenous cAMP generated in MCT cells in response to physiological levels (10(-12) M) of AVP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

In situ phosphorylation of proteins in MCTs microdissected from rat kidney: effect of AVP.

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein phosphorylation is considered a key step in the cellular action of vasopressin (AVP) to regulate water permeability in collecting tubules. However, the proteins serving as a substrate(s) for phosphorylation in undisrupted cells have not yet been identified. In the present study, we developed a method for investigation of in situ phosphorylation of microdissected segments of medullary collecting tubules (MCT) from rat kidney. Incubation of microdissected MCT segments with low concentrations of saponin, "semipermeabilization," increased permeability of the membrane for ATP but did not allow leakage of macromolecules such as lactate dehydrogenase. This treatment also did not cause major disruption of cell structure, or impairment of AVP-sensitive adenylate cyclase. Incubation of semipermeabilized MCT with gamma-[32P]ATP resulted in incorporation of 32Pi into two major protein bands [band "A" of apparent molecular mass (Mr) approximately equal to 66 kDa, and band "B" of Mr approximately equal to 45 kDa] detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and subsequent autoradiography. Similar incubation of tubules disrupted by hyposmotic solutions and a stronger detergent Triton X-100 resulted in 32Pi incorporation into multiple protein bands. Incubation of MCT with 1 microM AVP resulted in increased 32Pi radioactivity in band A and decreased 32Pi radioactivity in band B. These findings demonstrate a novel method for identification of endogenous protein substrate(s) for cAMP-dependent protein kinase and other protein kinases and phosphatases that are probably involved in post-cAMP steps in the cellular action of AVP in the intact cells of collecting tubules.

Cellular action of vasopressin in medullary tubules of mice with hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Our previous studies (1974. J. Clin. Invest.54: 753-762.) suggested that impaired metabolism of cyclic AMP (cAMP) may be involved in the renal unresponsiveness to vasopressin (VP) in mice with hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). To localize such a defect to specific segments of the nephron, we studied the activities of VP-sensitive adenylate cyclase, cAMP phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDIE), as well as accumulation of cAMP in medullary collecting tubules (MCT) and in medullary thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop (MAL) microdissected from control mice with normal concentrating ability and from mice with hereditary NDI. Adenylate cyclase activity stimulated by VP or by NaF was only slightly lower (-24%) in MCT from NDI mice, compared with controls. In MAL of NDI mice, basal, VP-sensitive, and NaF-sensitive adenylate cyclase was markedly (> -60%) lower compared with MAL of controls. The specific activity of cAMP-PDIE was markedly higher in MCT of NDI mice compared with controls, but was not different between MAL of control and NDI mice. Under present in vitro conditions, incubation of intact MCT from control mice with VP caused a striking increase in cAMP levels (>10), but VP failed to elicit a change in cAMP levels in MCT from NDI mice. When the cAMP-PDIE inhibitor 1-methyl-3-isobutyl xanthine (MIX) was added to the above incubation, VP caused a significant increase in cAMP levels in MCT from both NDI mice and control mice. Under all tested conditions, cAMP levels in MCT of NDI mice were lower than corresponding values in control MCT. Under the present experimental setting, VP and other stimulating factors (MIX, cholera toxin) did not change cAMP levels in MAL from either control mice or from NDI mice. The results of the present in vitro experiments suggest that the functional unresponsiveness of NDI mice to VP is perhaps mainly the result of the inability of collecting tubules to increase intracellular cAMP levels in response to VP. In turn, this inability to increase cAMP in response to VP is at least partly the result of abnormally high activity of cAMP-PDIE, a somewhat lower activity of VP-sensitive adenylate cyclase in MCT of NDI mice, and perhaps to a deficiency of some other as yet unidentified factors. The possible contribution of low VP-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity in MAL of NDI mice to the renal resistance to VP remains to be defined.

Cyclic AMP in action of antidiuretic hormone: effects of exogenous cyclic AMP and its new analogue

Exogenous cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) stimulates the effect of the antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin (VP), only in pharmacologic quantities and results have often been inconsistent. The present study examined the ability of a new analogue, 8-[p-Cl-phenylthio]cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (C1-PheS-cAMP) to mimic the effect of VP, both biochemically (protein kinase activation) and functionally (hydrosomatic response of perfused collecting tubules) in mammalian kidney tissue. C1PheS-cAMP was found to be about 100 times as effective as cAMP both biochemically and functionally. The increased effectiveness of C1PheS-cAMP is probably is probably due to a greater permeability across the cell membrane and to the resistance of C1PheS-cAMP to enzymatic degradation, Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase inhibition was observed with C1PheS-cAMP, but its contribution to overall effect was minor. C1PheS-cAMP was found to be more effective than exogenous vasopressin, an effect probably due primarily to its resistance to catabolism. The results provide further new evidence that cAMP and protein kinase are involved in the cellular action of vasopressin. C1PheS-cAMP proved to be a useful tool in the study of hormone action, especially in steps subsequent to cAMP generation.

Studies on in vitro polymerization of tubulin from renal medullary extracts

Previous in vivo studies showed that microtubules are involved in the cellular action of vasopressin. In order to analyze the role of renal medullary microtubules, a system was developed which would allow the study of the assembly of tubulin in renal medulla extracts into microtubules in vitro. The assembly of tubulin into microtubules occurred in renal medullary cytosol (100 000 × g supernatant) under specific conditions which include pre-concentration of cytosol by ultrafiltration, the presence of ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl)ether tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and 4 M glycerol, and warming at 37 °C. Formation of microtubules, which sedimented at 100 000 × g, was proved by (a) an increase in the apparent [ 3H]colchicine-binding activity of depolymerized pellets, (b) appearance of typical microbubules as shown by electron microscopy, and (c) by the increase in the quantity of microtubular protein analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Vinblastine at a concentration of 10 −6 M completely blocked formation of microtubules. A slight increase of ionized calcium in the polymerization mixture also prevented microtubule assembly; this inhibitory effect of ionized calcium was present at concentrations as low as 10 −4 M. Blockade of microtubule assembly by the increase in concentration of ionized calcium or by vinblastine may be the basis of known inhibitory effect of these two agents upon the hydroosmotic effect of vasopressin in vivo.

Renal Medullary Adenylate Cyclase in Rats with Hypothalamic Diabetes Insipidus

The activities of enzymes related to the cellular action of vasopressin as well as the activities of other enzymes were studied in an animal model of hypothalamic diabetes insipidus. Rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus (homozygotes of Bratteboro strain) were found to have significantly lower renal medullary adenylate cyclase activity, either basal activity or activity stimulated by vasopressin, as compared with controls (heterozygotes of the same strain). There were no differences between the two strains in the activities of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, other hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclases, or the other renal medullary enzymes studied, which are apparently unrelated to the vasopressin action. The treatment of rats with hereditary hypothalamic diabetes insipidus with exogenous vasopressin increased the activity of renal medullary adenylate cyclase stimulated in vitro by maximal doses of vasopressin, but had no effect on the basal activity of adenylate cyclase or on the activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. This suggests that low adenylate cyclase activity in the renal medulla of rats with diabetes insipidus may be related to the subnormal concentrating ability observed in these animals.

Effects of colchicine and vinblastine on the cellular action of vasopressin in mammalian kidney. A possible role of microtubules.

To evaluate the possible role of microtubules in the cellular action of vasopressin on the mammalian kidney, the effects of microtubule-disrupting agents were studied in vivo and in vitro. In vivo studies were done in rats in mild to moderate water diuresis induced by drinking 5% glucose. Microtubule-disrupting alkaloids, colchicine (0.1 mg/day) or vinblastine (0.08 mg/day), given intraperitoneally, did not change water and solute excretion itself, but blocked or markedly inhibited the antidiuretic response (increase in urine osmolality and decrease in urine flow) to exogenous vasopressin. Total solute excretion was unaffected by these two alkaloids and there were no substantial changes in excretion of sodium, potassium, or creatinine. Lumicolchicine, a derivative of colchicine that does not interact with microtubules, did not alter the antidiuretic response to exogenous vasopressin. Activities of adenylate cyclase in the renal medullary plasma membrane, and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and protein kinase in renal medullary cytosol, were not influenced by 10(-5)-10(-4) M colchicine or vinblastine in vitro. Studies on the subcellular distribution of microtubular protein (assessed as [(3)H]colchicine-binding protein) in renal medulla shows that this protein is contained predominantly in the cytosol. Particulate fractions, including plasma membrane, contain only a minute amount (less than 6%) of the colchicine-binding activity. The results suggest that the integrity of cytoplasmic microtubules in cells of the distal nephron is required for the antidiuretic action of vasopressin, probably in the sites distal to cyclic AMP generation in the mammalian kidney.