scholarly journals Blocker-related changes of channel density. Analysis of a three-state model for apical Na channels of frog skin.

1990 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
S I Helman ◽  
L M Baxendale

Blocker-induced noise analysis of apical membrane Na channels of epithelia of frog skin was carried out with the electroneutral blocker (CDPC, 6-chloro-3,5-diamino-pyrazine-2-carboxamide) that permitted determination of the changes of single-channel Na currents and channel densities with minimal inhibition of the macroscopic rates of Na transport (Baxendale, L. M., and S. I. Helman. 1986. Biophys. J. 49:160a). Experiments were designed to resolve changes of channel densities due to mass law action (and hence the kinetic scheme of blocker interaction with the Na channel) and to autoregulation of Na channel densities that occur as a consequence of inhibition of Na transport. Mass law action changes of channel densities conformed to a kinetic scheme of closed, open, and blocked states where blocker interacts predominantly if not solely with open channels. Such behavior was best observed in "pulse" protocol experiments that minimized the time of exposure to blocker and thus minimized the contribution of much longer time constant autoregulatory influences on channel densities. Analysis of data derived from pulse, staircase, and other experimental protocols using both CDPC and amiloride as noise-inducing blockers and interpreted within the context of a three-state model revealed that Na channel open probability in the absence of blocker averaged near 0.5 with a wide range among tissues between 0.1 and 0.9.

1996 ◽  
Vol 270 (1) ◽  
pp. C138-C147 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Fisher ◽  
F. G. Grillo ◽  
S. Sariban-Sohraby

Brefeldin A (BFA) is used to probe trafficking of proteins through the central vacuolar system (CVS) in a variety of cells. Transepithelial Na+ transport by high-resistance epithelia, such as A6 cultured cells, is inhibited by BFA. Apical Na+ channels, as well as basolateral pumps and K+ channels, are complex proteins that probably traverse the CVS for routing to the plasma membrane. BFA (5 micrograms/ml) decreases transepithelial Na+ current near zero and increases resistance reversibly after 4 h. Longer exposures are toxic. When tissues were treated for 20 h with 0.2 microgram/ml BFA, Na+ transport also was reversibly inhibited. Using noise analysis, we found that BFA drastically reduced apical Na+ channel density. The increase in single channel current was consistent with cell hyperpolarization. After apical permeabilization with nystatin, changes in transepithelial current reflect changes in basolateral membrane transport. Transport at this membrane was inhibited by ouabain and cycloheximide, but not by BFA. After BFA, aldosterone was ineffective, suggesting that an intact CVS is required for stimulation by this hormone. Thus BFA inhibition of Na+ transport is localized at the apical membrane. Implications for channel turnover as a mechanism for regulating the Na+ transport rate are discussed.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (1) ◽  
pp. L1-L22 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Matalon ◽  
D. J. Benos ◽  
R. M. Jackson

The recent immunopurification and cloning of various lung Na+ channel proteins has provided the necessary tools to study Na+ transport at a fundamental level across a number of epithelial tissues. Various macroscopic measurements of Na+ transport have shown that Na+ ions enter the cytoplasm of alveolar cells mainly through amiloride-inhibitable Na+ channels. Molecular biology studies have shown the existence of three Na+ channel subunit mRNAs (alpha-, beta-, and gamma-rENaC) in mature fetal (FDLE) and adult alveolar type II (ATII) cells. Patch-clamp studies have demonstrated the existence of various types of amiloride-inhibitable Na+ channels, located in the apical membranes of FDLE and ATII cells. beta-Agonists and agents that enhance intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels increase the open probability of these channels, leading to increased Na+ transport across the alveolar epithelium in vivo. Immunopurification of a putative channel protein from adult ATII cells showed that it contains an amiloride-binding subunit with a molecular mass of 150 kDa. When this protein was reconstituted in planar lipid bilayers, it exhibited single channels with a conductance of 25 pS, which were moderately selective for Na+ over K+. The open probability of these channels was increased by the addition of protein kinase A (PKA) and ATP, and was decreased to the same extent by addition of [N-ethyl-N-isopropyl]-2'-4'-amiloride (EIPA) and amiloride (1 microM each) in the apical side of the bilayer, in agreement with the results of patch-clamp studies in ATII cells. Exposure of rats to sublethal hyperoxia increased alpha-rENaC mRNA and the functional expression of Na+ channels in alveolar epithelial cells and limited alveolar edema. These findings indicate that alveolar epithelial channels contain at least one family of amiloride-sensitive Na+ channel proteins, which displays a number of unique properties, including sensitivity to EIPA.


1994 ◽  
Vol 266 (3) ◽  
pp. F367-F374 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Rick

The pH of the isolated frog skin epithelium was determined on a cellular and subcellular level based on the distribution of a weak organic acid, 4-bromobenzoic acid. The indicator is detectable by X-ray microanalysis due to the presence of an element label. The results show that the pH of principal cells, but not the Na concentration, is closely correlated with the rate of transepithelial Na transport. Acidification leads to an inhibition of Na transport, regardless of whether the change was spontaneous or experimentally induced. Under the conditions of this study, the pH of principal cells was not well regulated. At a bath pH of 7.0, large pH differences between the cell layers were detectable. In mitochondria-rich cells, the pH was a function of the intracellular Cl concentration but not the Na transport rate. The cytoplasmic pH consistently exceeded the nuclear pH. The nuclear-cytoplasmic pH differential in principal cells amounted to 0.3 pH units, which is equivalent to a nuclear potential of -17 mV. The results support the view that the intracellular pH (pHi) is an important regulator of transepithelial Na transport. Regulation is primarily achieved at the level of the apical Na channel, making the Na influx the rate-limiting step in Na reabsorption.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (5) ◽  
pp. C1414-C1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Kokko ◽  
P. S. Matsumoto ◽  
B. N. Ling ◽  
D. C. Eaton

We studied the mechanisms by which prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) regulates amiloride-blockable 4-pS Na+ channels in A6 distal nephron cells. With each apical cell-attached patch acting as its own control, acute (3-6 min) basolateral, but not apical, exposure to 1 microM PGE2 inhibited Na+ channel activity by decreasing the open probability (Po). This PGE2-induced inhibition was attenuated by 30 min pretreatment with the protein kinase C (PKC) antagonists 1 microM staurosporine or 100 microM D-sphingosine but was insensitive to pertussis toxin (PTX). Furthermore, the time course for channel inhibition by acute PGE2 correlated with a transient increase in intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) levels. In contrast, after chronic (10-50 min) exposure of A6 cells to 1 microM basolateral PGE2, channel activity was stimulated compared with controls. This stimulation was due to an increase in the number of apical Na+ channels, similar to the effect of maneuvers that increase intracellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels in A6 cells (22). Indeed, chronic exposure to basolateral PGE2 correlated with a sustained increase in cAMP levels. In conclusion, 1) the regulation of apical 4-pS highly selective Na+ channel activity by basolateral PGE2 is a complicated biphasic process, which includes inhibition by acute PGE2 and stimulation by chronic PGE2 exposure; 2) acute PGE2 promotes a transient generation of IP3 which activates Ca(2+)-dependent PKC and promotes a decrease in Po; 3) chronic PGE2 promotes a sustained generation of cAMP that leads to an increase in channel density; and 4) both the acute and chronic effects of PGE2 on Na+ channels are PTX-insensitive processes.


1988 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 413-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
J B Patlak

The currents through single Na+ channels were recorded from dissociated cells of the flexor digitorum brevis muscle of the mouse. At 15 degrees C the prolonged bursts of Na+ channel openings produced by application of the drug DPI 201-106 had brief sojourns to subconductance levels. The subconductance events were relatively rare and brief, but could be identified using a new technique that sorts amplitude estimates based on their variance. The resulting "levels histogram" had a resolution of the conductance levels during channel activity that was superior to that of standard amplitude histograms. Cooling the preparation to 0 degrees C prolonged the subconductance events, and permitted further quantitative analysis of their amplitudes, as well as clear observations of single-channel subconductance events from untreated Na+ channels. In all cases the results were similar: a subconductance level, with an amplitude of roughly 35% of the fully open conductance and similar reversal potential, was present in both drug-treated and normal Na+ channels. Drug-treated channels spent approximately 3-6% of their total open time in the subconductance state over a range of potentials that caused the open probability to vary between 0.1 and 0.9. The summed levels histograms from many channels had a distinctive form, with broader, asymmetrical open and substate distributions compared with those of the closed state. Individual subconductance events to levels other than the most common 35% were also observed. I conclude that subconductance events are a normal subset of the open state of Na+ channels, whether or not they are drug treated. The subconductance events may represent a conformational alteration of the channel that occurs when it conducts ions.


1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. F392-F400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Marunaka ◽  
N. Hagiwara ◽  
H. Tohda

Using the patch-clamp technique, we studied the effect of insulin on an amiloride-blockable Na channel in the apical membrane of a distal nephron cell line (A6) cultured on permeable collagen films for 10-14 days. NPo (N, number of channels per patch membrane; Po, average value of open probability of individual channels in the patch) under baseline conditions was 0.88 +/- 0.12 (SE)(n = 17). After making cell-attached patches on the apical membrane which contained Na channels, insulin (1 mU/ml) was applied to the serosal bath. While maintaining the cell-attached patch, NPo significantly increased to 1.48 +/- 0.19 (n = 17; P less than 0.001) after 5-10 min of insulin application. The open probability of Na channels was 0.39 +/- 0.01 (n = 38) under baseline condition, and increased to 0.66 +/- 0.03 (n = 38, P less than 0.001) after addition of insulin. The baseline single-channel conductance was 4pS, and neither the single-channel conductance nor the current-voltage relationship was significantly changed by insulin. These results indicate that insulin increases Na absorption in the distal nephron by increasing the open probability of the amiloride-blockable Na channel.


1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 833-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Van Driessche ◽  
W. Zeiske

This review focused on results obtained with methods that allow studies of ionic channels in situ, namely, patch clamping and current-noise analysis. We reported findings for ionic channels in apical and basolateral plasma membranes of various tight and leaky epithelia from a wide range of animal species and tissues. As for ionic channel "species," we restricted ourselves to the discussion of cation-specific (Na+ or K+), hybrid (Na+ and K+), and Cl- channels. For the K+-specific channels it can be said that their properties in conduction (multisite, single file), selectivity (only "K+-like" cations), and blocking behavior (Ba2+, Cs+, TEA) much resemble those observed for K+ channels in excitable membranes. This seems to include also the Ca2+-activated "maxi" K+ channel. Thus, K+ channels in excitable membranes and K+ channels in epithelia appear to be very closely related in their basic structural principles. This is, however, not at all unexpected, because K+ channels provide the dominant permeability characteristics of nearly all plasma membranes from symmetrical and epithelial cells. An exception is, of course, apical membranes of tight epithelia whose duty is Na+ absorption against large electrochemical gradients in a usually anisosmotic environment. Here, Na+ channels dominate, although a minor fraction of membrane permeability comes from K+ channels, as in frog skin, colon, or distal nephron. Epithelial Na+ channels are different from excitable Na+ channels in that they 1) are far more selective and 2) seem to be chemically rather than electrically gated. Furthermore, their specific blockers belong to very different chemical families, although a guanidinium/amidinium moiety is a common feature (TTX vs. amiloride). [For a more detailed summary of Na+ channel properties see sect. IV H.] Most interesting is the occurrence of relatively nonselective cationic (hybrid) channels in apical membranes of tight epithelia, like larval or adult frog skin. Here, not only the weak selectivity is astonishing but also the fact that these channels react with so-called K+-channel-specific (Ba2+, TEA) as well as with Na+-channel-specific (amiloride, BIG) compounds. Moreover, this cross-reactivity does not seem to be inhibitory but, on the contrary, stimulating. Clearly these channels may become a fascinating object with which to assess whether Na+ and K+ channels are not only structurally but also genetically related and whether they can somehow be converted into each other.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (5) ◽  
pp. C1071-C1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Marunaka ◽  
D. C. Eaton

To determine the mechanism by which vasopressin increases sodium transport in sodium-transporting, tight epithelia, we examined single amiloride-blockable Na channels in membrane patches from cultured distal nephron cells (A6) either before or after treatment with arginine vasopressin. Pretreatment of cells with vasopressin (40 mU/ml) for 40-50 min increases NPo (N, the number of Na channels; Po, the open probability of an individual Na channel). The increase in NPo is due to an increase in the number of conductive Na channels with little or no change in the open probability of individual Na channels. Pretreatment of cells for 1 h with 1 mM N6,2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) also increased NPo. The increase in NPo caused by DBcAMP pretreatment is also due to the increase in the number of conductive Na channels with no change in the open probability of individual Na channels. Cells pretreated with cholera toxin (CTX; 250 ng/ml) for 4 h appeared similar to cells that had been treated with vasopressin or DBcAMP; that is, the number of Na channels per patch increased with little or no effect on the open probability of individual Na channels. For patches from many untreated cells, when the frequency of occurrence is plotted against the number of channels in an individual patch, the histogram consists of a single peak with a number of channels per patch of 2.0 +/- 1.5 (+/- SD, 126 patches). After pretreatment of cells with vasopressin, DBcAMP, or CTX, the same histogram contains two peaks after vasopressin of 1.8 +/- 1.2 and 9.2 +/- 1.5 (+/- SD, 38 and 53 patches, respectively). These observations suggest that pretreatment of cells with vasopressin, DBcAMP, or CTX may act by promoting insertion of clusters of new sodium channels.


1993 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Pácha ◽  
G Frindt ◽  
L Antonian ◽  
R B Silver ◽  
L G Palmer

The activity of apical membrane Na channels in the rat cortical collecting tubule was studied during manipulation of the animals' mineralocorticoid status in vivo using a low-Na diet or the diuretic furosemide. Tubules were isolated and split open to expose the luminal membrane surface. Induction of Na channel activity was studied in cell-attached patches of the split tubules. No activity was observed with control animals on a normal diet. Channel activity could be induced by putting the animals on the low-Na diet for at least 48 h. The mean number of open channels per patch (NPo) was maximal after 1 wk on low Na. Channels were also induced within 3 h after injection of furosemide (20 mg/kg body wt per d). NPo was maximal 48 h after the first injection. In both cases, increases in NPo were primarily due to increases in the number of channels per patch (N) at a constant open probability (Po). With salt depletion or furosemide injection NPo is a saturable function of aldosterone concentration with half-maximal activity at approximately 8 nM. When animals were salt repleted after 1-2 wk of salt depletion, both plasma aldosterone and NPo fell markedly within 6 h. NPo continued to decrease over the next 14 h, while plasma aldosterone rebounded partially. Channel activity may be dissociated from aldosterone concentrations under conditions of salt repletion.


1985 ◽  
Vol 249 (5) ◽  
pp. C421-C429 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tang ◽  
F. J. Abramcheck ◽  
W. Van Driessche ◽  
S. I. Helman

Epithelia of frog skin bathed either symmetrically with a sulfate-Ringer solution or bathed asymmetrically and depolarized with a 112 mM K+ basolateral solution (Kb+) were studied with intracellular microelectrode techniques. Kb+ depolarization caused an initial decrease of the short-circuit current (Isc) with a subsequent return of the Isc toward control values in 60-90 min. Whereas basolateral membrane resistance (Rb) and voltage were decreased markedly by high [Kb+], apical membrane electrical resistance (Ra) was decreased also. After 60 min, intracellular voltage averaged -27.3 mV, transcellular fractional resistance (fRa) was 86.8%, and Ra and Rb were decreased to 36.1 and 13.0%, of their control values, respectively. Amiloride-induced noise analysis of the apical membrane Na+ channels revealed that Na+ channel density was increased approximately 72% while single-channel Na+ current was decreased to 39.9% of control, roughly proportional to the decrease of apical membrane voltage (34.0% of control). In control and Kb+-depolarized epithelia, the Na+ channel density exhibited a phenomenon of autoregulation. Inhibition of Na+ entry (by amiloride) caused large increases of Na+ channel density toward saturating values of approximately 520 X 10(6) channels/cm2 in Kb+-depolarized tissues.


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