Insulin inhibition of hormone-stimulated protein kinase systems of rat renal cortex.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and glucagon increase the urinary fractional excretion of phosphate, but insulin administration is associated with a decreased fractional excretion of phosphate. It was the purpose of this study to determine whether insulin will antagonize the effects of PTH and glucagon on cAMP levels and protein kinase activation of rat renal cortex. In situ incubation studies were performed on rat renal cortical slices exposed to insulin, PTH, and glucagon. Insulin alone did not affect the tissue cAMP and cGMP levels or the state of protein kinase activation. Preincubation of slices with insulin, however, did significantly inhibit increases in protein kinase activation induced by both PTH and glucagon. Insulin also significantly inhibited PTH-stimulated increases in tissue cAMP levels, but did not blunt the elevations of cAMP levels induced by glucagon. Insulin (10(-9) M) had no effect on either the in vitro activity of adenylate cyclase, basal or PTH-stimulated, or on the activities of low Km cytosolic or membrane-bound cAMP phosphodiesterase. The data show that insulin antagonizes activation of protein kinase by both PTH and glucagon in renal cortex. Separate mechanisms are probably involved for PTH and glucagon interaction. The antiphosphaturic effect of insulin in vivo may result in part from this antagonism at the cellular level.

Action of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) on cyclic nucleotides in glomeruli of rat renal cortex.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is known to influence glomerular function and may have an important role in the pathogenesis of glomerulopathies. Because serotonin acts in nonrenal tissues through mediation of cyclic nucleotides, we investigated in vitro its effect on cAMP and cyclic guanosine monophasphate (cGMP) in tissue slices and isolated glomeruli from rat kidney. Serotonin increased cAMP 161 +/- 35% but not cGMP in renal cortex; it had no effect on cyclic nucleotides in medulla and papilla. In isolated glomeruli, serotonin elicited a dose-dependent (in the range of 10-7 to 10-4 M) increase in cAMP; the maximum increase over basal values was 376 +/- 45%. Serotonin increased cAMP either in the presence or in the absence of a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor. In tubular fraction, serotonin elevated cAMP to a much lesser degree (82 +/- 15%). Neither in glomeruli nor in tubules did cGMP concentrations change in response to serotonin, but carbamylcholine, a known cGMP agonist, significantly increased cGMP concentrations. The increase in cAMP in response to serotonin was blocked (greater than 85% inhibition) by equimolar concentrations of serotonin antagonists methysergide and cinanserine. Results of this study demonstrate that interaction of serotonin with receptors in the kidney, particularly in the glomeruli, cause a striking increase in cAMP concentrations without detectable changes in cGMP concentrations. These findings suggest that serotonin, either synthesized in the kidney or released locally from platelets aggregated in glomeruli (for example, in association with immunopathologic injury) may exert of modulate its physiologic or pathologic effects via mediation of cAMP.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in glomeruli of rat renal cortex.

The presence and properties of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDIE) and cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase (cGMP-PDIE) were studied in glomeruli isolated from rat renal cortex by sieving and density gradient centrifugation. The specific activity of cGMP-PDIE was higher than the specific activity of cAMP-PDIE in glomeruli; in tubules and renal cortical slices, the specific activity of cAMP-PDIE was higher than that of cGMP-PDIE. In homogenates, X 100,000g supernate of homogenate (cytosol) and X 100,000g pellet (membrane fraction) from glomeruli, the specific activity of cGMP-PDIE was significantly higher than it was in analogous preparations from tubules or renal cortical slices. Cyclic 3',5'-GMP (10(-6)M to 10(-5)M) stimulated glomerular cAMP-PDIE, but it was without effect on cAMP-PDIE from tubules. Structural analogs of cyclic 3',5'-GMP or 5'-GMP did not stimulate glomerular cAMP-PDIE. Cyclic 3',5'-AMP slightly inhibited cGMP-PDIE from both glomeruli and tubules. N6-,2'-0-dibutyryl cyclic 3',5'-AMP inhibited cAMP-PDIE, but not cGMP-PDIE. The addition of calcium increased the activity of cGMP-PDIE, mainly in tubules, but was without effect on cAMP-PDIE. These results suggest the predominance of cyclic 3',5'-GMP catabolism in glomeruli in comparison with other cortical structures, and they demonstrate that both the specific activities and regulatory properties of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in glomeruli differ markedly from tubules or unfractionated renal cortical tissue.

Microtubule assembly in renal medullary slices: effects of vasopressin, vinblastine, and lithium.

The effects of vasopressin and some of its inhibitors on the extent of MT polymerization (assembly) were studied in renal medullary slices by means of temperature-dependent polymerization-depolymerization procedure to determine the relative ratio of free (unpolymerized) tubulin to assembled MT's. Assembled MT's were stabilized in a medium containing high concentrations of glycerol and DMSO. Tubulin was assessed indirectly by the [3H]-CLC-binding assay. Incubation of slices at temperatures higher than 20 degree C promoted MT polymerization. Although vasopressin markedly increased the tissue levels of cAMP and activated in situ cAMP-dependent protein kinase, it did not change the extent of MT polymerization. On the other hand, VBL and to a lesser degree lithium chloride inhibited the rate of MT assembly. This finding suggests that VBL and lithium, which are known to inhibit the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin in vivo, may exert at least part of their inhibitory effect by interfering with MT assembly in the renal medulla. Present results thus are consistent with the view that vasopressin does not influence the extent of cytoplasmic MT polymerization in spite of the increase in tissue cAMP level and activation of protein kinase but that inact MT's are required for the cellular action of vasopressin.

Glucagon-sensitive adenylate cyclase in human renal medulla.

In cell-free preparations (washed 600 x g pellets) of human renal medulla, glucagon produced a dose-dependent stimulation of adenylate cyclase. The stimulation of renal medullary adenylate cyclase by saturating concentrations of glucagon was additive to the saturating doses of vasopressin. Furthermore, L-isoproterenol stimulated renal medullary adenylate cyclase in a dose-dependent manner, and this stimulation was blocked by DL-propranolol. Stimulation of the renal medullary adenylate cyclase by maximal doses of glucagon and L-isoproterenol was additive. DL-Propranolol did not inhibit stimulation of glucagon. Thus, the results indicate the existence of a specific adenylate cyclase that is responsive to glucagon--distinct from the isoproterenol-sensitive adenylate cyclase and the previously described vasopressin-sensitive adenylate cyclase in human renal medulla. We suggest that the renal tubular effect of glucagon may be mediated by glucagon-dependent cyclic-AMP production in renal tissue.

Subcellular distribution of the enzymes related to the cellular action of vasopressin in renal medulla.

Subcellular distribution of the enzymes related to the cellular action of antidiuretic hormone was studied in bovine renal medulla. The highest activity of vasopressin-stimulated adenylate cyclase was found in plasma membranes. The basal activity increased two times above homogenate while vasopressin-stimulated and NaF-stimulated activities both increased five times. Adenylate cyclase activity was present also in other particulate fractions, but it was not significantly stimulated by vasopressin. Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase was predominantly located in the cytosol when assayed with 0.5 mM cyclic AMP or with 5 muM cyclic AMP. However, with the latter concentration of cyclic AMP more activity remained associated with the particulate fractions and was more inhibited by theophylline. The highest cyclic AMP-stimulated protein kinase activity occurred in the cytosol. Protein kinase activity present in other subcellular fractions was not markedly stimulated by cyclic AMP. Protein phosphatase activity was highest in cytosol when assayed using 32P-histones, 32P-plasma membrane proteins, and 32P-cytoslic proteins. The activity was unaffected by 10-6M to 10-4M cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP. The activity was completely inhibited by 10mM ZnSO4 and 10mM CuSO4; 10mM NaF inhibited the activity by approximately 14%. The enzymes related to the cellular action of vasopressin are predominatly localized in the cytosol except for the vasopressin-sensitive adenylate cyclase which is plasma membrane bound. To mediate the effect of antidiuretic hormone and act on the luminal plasma membrane these soluble enzymes and their substrates should be compartmentalized, possibly by a system of cytoplasmic microtubules.