Role of Ammonia Transporters in the Kidney with Ureteral Obstruction / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have identified a new family of ammonia transporters, Rh B glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg). Rhbg and Rhcg are expressed in the collecting duct system of the kidney. Although it remains controversial whether Rhbg contributes to renal ammonia transport, Rhcg expression parallels ammonia excretion in a variety of experimental models. Kim et al. made an animal model of unilateral ureteral obstruction and demonstrated a decrease in urinary ammonia excretion. Immunohistochemistry with quantitative morphometric analysis revealed that total intensity of Rhcg expression significantly decreased in the obstructed kidney, but did not change in the non-obstructed kidney. These results suggest that decreased Rhcg is likely to cause for the impaired renal ammonia excretion in unilateral ureteral obstruction.