scholarly journals More actors in ammonia absorption by the thick ascending limb

2012 ◽  
Vol 302 (3) ◽  
pp. F293-F297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Houillier ◽  
Soline Bourgeois

This review will briefly summarize current knowledge on the basolateral ammonia transport mechanisms in the thick ascending limb (TAL) of the loop of Henle. This segment transports ammonia against a concentration gradient and is responsible for the accumulation of ammonia in the medullary interstitium, which, in turn, favors ammonia secretion across the collecting duct. Experimental data indicate that the sodium/hydrogen ion exchanger isoform 4 (NHE4; Scl9a4) is a sodium/ammonia exchanger and plays a major role in this process. Disruption of murine NHE4 leads to metabolic acidosis with inappropriate urinary ammonia excretion and decreases the ability of the TAL to absorb ammonia and to build the corticopapillary ammonia gradient. However, NHE4 does not account for the entirety of ammonia absorption by the TAL, indicating that, at least, one more transporter is involved.

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (1) ◽  
pp. F11-F23 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. David Weiner ◽  
Jill W. Verlander

Renal ammonia excretion is the predominant component of renal net acid excretion. The majority of ammonia excretion is produced in the kidney and then undergoes regulated transport in a number of renal epithelial segments. Recent findings have substantially altered our understanding of renal ammonia transport. In particular, the classic model of passive, diffusive NH3 movement coupled with NH4+ “trapping” is being replaced by a model in which specific proteins mediate regulated transport of NH3 and NH4+ across plasma membranes. In the proximal tubule, the apical Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE-3, is a major mechanism of preferential NH4+ secretion. In the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, the apical Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter, NKCC2, is a major contributor to ammonia reabsorption and the basolateral Na+/H+ exchanger, NHE-4, appears to be important for basolateral NH4+ exit. The collecting duct is a major site for renal ammonia secretion, involving parallel H+ secretion and NH3 secretion. The Rhesus glycoproteins, Rh B Glycoprotein (Rhbg) and Rh C Glycoprotein (Rhcg), are recently recognized ammonia transporters in the distal tubule and collecting duct. Rhcg is present in both the apical and basolateral plasma membrane, is expressed in parallel with renal ammonia excretion, and mediates a critical role in renal ammonia excretion and collecting duct ammonia transport. Rhbg is expressed specifically in the basolateral plasma membrane, and its role in renal acid-base homeostasis is controversial. In the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), basolateral Na+-K+-ATPase enables active basolateral NH4+ uptake. In addition to these proteins, several other proteins also contribute to renal NH3/NH4+ transport. The role and mechanisms of these proteins are discussed in depth in this review.


1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
T B Orstavvik ◽  
T Inagami

The anatomical relationship between kallikrein and renin in the rat kidney was investigated immunohistochemically by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Kallikrein was localized to the convoluted distal tubule, starting at a point, distal to the juxtaglomerular apparatus, where the thick ascending limb of loop of Henle transformed into the convoluted distal tubule. The thick ascending limb was identified by its content of uromucoid (Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein). Kallikrein was never observed within the juxtaglomerular apparatus itself. The kallikrein-containing tubule ended where the distal tubule submerged into the collecting duct. Renin was found in epitheloid cells of the afferent arteriole. When neighboring sections were stained for kallikrein and renin, respectively, no close anatomical relationship was observed between the kallikrein-containing and the renin-containing structures.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (6) ◽  
pp. F961-F970 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Wright ◽  
M. A. Knepper

To determine whether local production of ammonium by medullary renal tubule segments may contribute to medullary ammonium accumulation, we measured activities of phosphate-dependent glutaminase (PDG) in microdissected tubule segments from rat medulla and cortex. PDG activities were very low in medullary loop of Henle segments but surprisingly high in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). In cortex, PDG levels were highest in distal convoluted tubule and cortical thick ascending limb, but substantial levels were also found in proximal segments, as reported previously. To determine effects of acid loading and alkali loading on PDG activity, 0.28 M NH4Cl (acid) or 0.28 M NaHCO3 (alkali) was added to rats' drinking water for 7 days. PDG activities in medullary segments were not affected by acid or alkali intake. Acid intake by rats increased PDG activity in S1 and S2 proximal convoluted tubules severalfold but did not affect the other cortical segments. We conclude that medullary loop of Henle segments probably contribute relatively little to medullary ammonium accumulation because of their low activities. The high PDG activity in IMCD suggests that ammonium could be produced and secreted by this segment. However, because total tubule length of IMCD is very low compared with proximal tubules, it appears unlikely that IMCD contributes substantially to overall renal ammonium production. PDG activity is regulated only in S1 and S2 proximal tubules, consistent with the view that the proximal tubule is the major site of regulation of renal ammonium production.


2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
Osamu Yamazaki ◽  
Kenichi Ishizawa ◽  
Daigoro Hirohama ◽  
Toshiro Fujita ◽  
Shigeru Shibata

Abstract Distal nephron of the kidney plays key roles in fluid volume and electrolyte homeostasis by tightly regulating reabsorption and excretion of Na+, K+, and Cl−. Studies to date demonstrate the detailed electrolyte transport mechanisms in principal cells of the cortical collecting duct, and their regulation by renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS). In recent years, however, accumulating data indicate that intercalated cells, another cell type that is present in the cortical collecting duct, also play active roles in the regulation of blood pressure. Notably, pendrin in β-intercalated cells not only controls acid/base homeostasis, but is also one of the key components controlling salt and K+ transport in distal nephron. We have recently shown that pendrin is regulated by the co-ordinated action of angiotensin II (AngII) and aldosterone, and at the downstream of AngII, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling regulates pendrin through inhibiting the kinase unc51-like-kinase 1 and promoting dephosphorylation of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). In this review, we summarize recent advances in the current knowledge on the salt transport mechanisms in the cortical collecting duct, and their regulation by the RAAS.


Author(s):  
Alan M. Weinstein

Ammonia generated within the kidney is partitioned into a urinary fraction (the key buffer for net acid excretion), and an aliquot delivered to the systemic circulation. The physiology of this partitioning has yet to be examined in a kidney model, and that is undertaken in this work. This involves explicit representation of the cortical labyrinth, so that cortical interstitial solute concentrations are computed, rather than assigned. A detailed representation of cortical vasculature has been avoided by making the assumption that solute concentrations within interstitium and peritubular capillaries are likely to be identical, and that there is little to no modification of venous composition as blood flows to the renal vein. The model medullary ray has also been revised to include a segment of proximal straight tubule, which supplies ammonia to this region. The principal finding of this work is that cortical labyrinth interstitial ammonia concentration is likely to be several-fold higher than systemic arterial ammonia. This elevation of interstitial ammonia enhances ammonia secretion in both PCT and DCT, with uptake by Na,K-ATPases of both segments. Model prediction of urinary ammonia excretion is concordant with measured values, but at the expense of greater ammoniagenesis, with high rates of renal venous ammonia flux. This derives from a limited capability of the model medulla to replicate the high interstitial ammonia concentrations that are required to drive collecting duct ammonia secretion. Thus, renal medullary ammonia trapping appears key to diverting ammonia from renal vein to urine, but capturing the underlying physiology remains a challenge.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (4) ◽  
pp. R1743-R1753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsutomu Nakada ◽  
Kazuyuki Hoshijima ◽  
Masahiro Esaki ◽  
Saori Nagayoshi ◽  
Koichi Kawakami ◽  
...  

Members of the Rh glycoprotein family have been shown to be involved in ammonia transport in a variety of species. Here we show that zebrafish Rhcg1, a member of the Rh glycoprotein family, is highly expressed in the yolk sac, gill, and renal tubules. Molecular cloning and characterization indicate that zebrafish Rhcg1 shares 82% sequence identity with the pufferfish ortholog fRhcg1. RT-PCR, combined with in situ hybridization, revealed that Rhcg1 is first expressed in vacuolar-type H+-ATPase/mitochondrion-rich cells (vH-MRC) on the yolk sac of larvae at 3 days postfertilization (dpf) and later in vH-MRC-like cells in the gill at 4–5 dpf. Ammonia excretion from zebrafish larvae increased in parallel with the expression of Rhcg1. At larval stages, Rhcg1 mRNA was detected only on the yolk sac and gill; however, the kidney, as well as the gill, becomes a major site of Rhcg1 expression in adults. Using a zebrafish Tol2 transgenic line whose vH-MRC are labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and an antibody against zebrafish Rhcg1, we demonstrate that Rhcg1 is located in the apical regions of 1) vH-MRC on the yolk sac and vH-MRC-like cells (cell population with the expression of Rhcg1 and GFP) in the gill and 2) cells in the renal distal tubule and intercalated cell-like cells in the collecting duct of the kidney. Remarkably, expression of Rhcg1 mRNA at the larval stage was changed by environmental ionic strength. These results suggest that roles of zebrafish Rhcg1 are not solely ammonia secretion to eliminate nitrogen from the gill.


2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (6) ◽  
pp. F1364-F1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Wook Lee ◽  
Jill W. Verlander ◽  
Jesse M. Bishop ◽  
Peter Igarashi ◽  
Mary E. Handlogten ◽  
...  

NH3movement across plasma membranes has traditionally been ascribed to passive, lipid-phase diffusion. However, ammonia-specific transporters, Mep/Amt proteins, are present in primitive organisms and mammals express orthologs of Mep/Amt proteins, the Rh glycoproteins. These findings suggest that the mechanisms of NH3movement in mammalian tissues should be reexamined. Rh C glycoprotein (Rhcg) is expressed in the collecting duct, where NH3secretion is necessary for both basal and acidosis-stimulated ammonia transport. To determine whether the collecting duct secretes NH3via Rhcg or via lipid-phase diffusion, we generated mice with collecting duct-specific Rhcg deletion (CD-KO). CD-KO mice had loxP sites flanking exons 5 and 9 of the Rhcg gene (Rhcgfl/fl) and expressed Cre-recombinase under control of the Ksp-cadherin promoter (Ksp-Cre). Control (C) mice were Rhcgfl/flbut Ksp-Cre negative. We confirmed kidney-specific genomic recombination using PCR analysis and collecting duct-specific Rhcg deletion using immunohistochemistry. Under basal conditions, urinary ammonia excretion was less in KO vs. C mice; urine pH was unchanged. After acid-loading for 7 days, CD-KO mice developed more severe metabolic acidosis than did C mice. Urinary ammonia excretion did not increase significantly on the first day of acidosis in CD-KO mice, despite an intact ability to increase urine acidification, whereas it increased significantly in C mice. On subsequent days, urinary ammonia excretion slowly increased in CD-KO mice, but was always significantly less than in C mice. We conclude that collecting duct Rhcg expression contributes to both basal and acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion, indicating that collecting duct ammonia secretion is, at least in part, mediated by Rhcg and not solely by lipid diffusion.


2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (12) ◽  
pp. F1463-F1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Wook Lee ◽  
Gunars Osis ◽  
Mary E. Handlogten ◽  
Hui Guo ◽  
Jill W. Verlander ◽  
...  

Dietary protein restriction has multiple benefits in kidney disease. Because protein intake is a major determinant of endogenous acid production, it is important that net acid excretion change in parallel during protein restriction. Ammonia is the primary component of net acid excretion, and inappropriate ammonia excretion can lead to negative nitrogen balance. Accordingly, we examined ammonia excretion in response to protein restriction and then we determined the molecular mechanism of the changes observed. Wild-type C57Bl/6 mice fed a 20% protein diet and then changed to 6% protein developed an 85% reduction in ammonia excretion within 2 days, which persisted during a 10-day study. The expression of multiple proteins involved in renal ammonia metabolism was altered, including the ammonia-generating enzymes phosphate-dependent glutaminase (PDG) and phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and the ammonia-metabolizing enzyme glutamine synthetase. Rhbg, an ammonia transporter, increased in expression in the inner stripe of outer medullary collecting duct intercalated cell (OMCDis-IC). However, collecting duct-specific Rhbg deletion did not alter the response to protein restriction. Rhcg deletion did not alter ammonia excretion in response to dietary protein restriction. These results indicate 1) dietary protein restriction decreases renal ammonia excretion through coordinated regulation of multiple components of ammonia metabolism; 2) increased Rhbg expression in the OMCDis-IC may indicate a biological role in addition to ammonia transport; and 3) Rhcg expression is not necessary to decrease ammonia excretion during dietary protein restriction.


Author(s):  
Brian N Chorley ◽  
Heidrun Ellinger-Ziegelbauer ◽  
Michael Tackett ◽  
Frank J Simutis ◽  
Alison H Harrill ◽  
...  

Abstract Drug-induced kidney injury (DIKI) is a major concern in both drug development and clinical practice. There is an unmet need for biomarkers of glomerular damage and more distal renal injury in the loop of Henle and the collecting duct (CD). A cross-laboratory program to identify and characterize urinary microRNA (miRNA) patterns reflecting tissue- or pathology-specific DIKI was conducted. The overall goal was to propose miRNA biomarker candidates for DIKI that could supplement information provided by protein kidney biomarkers in urine. Rats were treated with nephrotoxicants causing injury to distinct nephron segments: the glomerulus, proximal tubule, thick ascending limb (TAL) of the loop of Henle and CD. Meta-analysis identified miR-192-5p as a potential proximal tubule-specific urinary miRNA candidate. This result was supported by data obtained in laser capture microdissection nephron segments showing that miR-192-5p expression was enriched in the proximal tubule. Discriminative miRNAs including miR-221-3p and -222-3p were increased in urine from rats treated with TAL versus proximal tubule toxicants in accordance with their expression localization in the kidney. Urinary miR-210-3p increased up to 40-fold upon treatment with TAL toxicants and was also enriched in laser capture microdissection samples containing TAL and/or CD versus proximal tubule. miR-23a-3p was enriched in the glomerulus and was increased in urine from rats treated with doxorubicin, a glomerular toxicant, but not with toxicants affecting other nephron segments. Taken together these results suggest that urinary miRNA panels sourced from specific nephron regions may be useful to discriminate the pathology of toxicant-induced lesions in the kidney, thereby contributing to DIKI biomarker development needs for industry, clinical, and regulatory use.


2019 ◽  
Vol 317 (4) ◽  
pp. F890-F905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Autumn N. Harris ◽  
Hyun-Wook Lee ◽  
Lijuan Fang ◽  
Jill W. Verlander ◽  
I. David Weiner

Renal ammonia excretion is a critical component of acid-base homeostasis, and changes in ammonia excretion are the predominant component of increased net acid excretion in response to metabolic acidosis. We recently reported substantial sex-dependent differences in basal ammonia metabolism that correlate with sex-dependent differences in renal structure and expression of key proteins involved in ammonia metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of sex on the renal ammonia response to an exogenous acid load. We studied 4-mo-old C57BL/6 mice. Ammonia excretion, which was less in male mice under basal conditions, increased in response to acid loading to a greater extent in male mice, such that maximal ammonia excretion did not differ between the sexes. Fundamental structural sex differences in the nonacid-loaded kidney persisted after acid loading, with less cortical proximal tubule volume density in the female kidney than in the male kidney, whereas collecting duct volume density was greater in the female kidney. To further investigate sex-dependent differences in the response to acid loading, we examined the expression of proteins involved in ammonia metabolism. The change in expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and Rh family B glycoprotein with acid loading was greater in male mice than in female mice, whereas Na+-K+-2Cl– cotransporter and inner stripe of the outer medulla intercalated cell Rh family C glycoprotein expression were significantly greater in female mice than in male mice. There was no significant sex difference in glutamine synthetase, Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3, or electrogenic Na+-bicarbonate cotransporter 1 variant A protein expression in response to acid loading. We conclude that substantial sex-dependent differences in the renal ammonia response to acid loading enable a similar maximum ammonia excretion response.


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