Permeability to water in a tight epithelium: possible modulating action of gap junctions

Osmotic water flow (Jw) across tight distal nephron epithelial membranes increases upon exposure to vasopressin: following binding of the hormone to its receptors, intracellular cyclic AMP concentration increases, leading to insertion of aquaporins in the apical membrane. The involvement of intercellular communication in the process, however, has not been adequately explored. Octanol, 1.2 × 10–3 M, a gap junction inhibitor, significantly reduced Jw (expressed as mg·20 min–1) in isolated toad urinary bladders (a model of the distal nephron) subjected to a transepithelial osmotic gradient and exposed to agents mimicking the vasopressin-triggered mechanism: oxytocin, 50 mIU·mL–1 (from 185.3 ± 28.0, P < 0.001, to 69.0 ± 23.6, P < 0.05; Pdiff < 0.01, n = 6), and cyclic AMP, 2.5 × 10–3 M (from 98.0 ± 32.6, P < 0.02, to 31.0 ± 13.9, NS; Pdiff < 0.05, n = 12), without altering the effect of nystatin, 450 U·mL–1, which increases Jw via a mechanism unrelated to apical aquaporin insertion (163.2 ± 16.3, P < 0.001, in controls vs. 150.3 ± 10.4, P < 0.001, in octanol-treated bladders; Pdiff: NS, n = 6). Another gap junction blocker, carbenoxolone, 2.0 × 10–4 M (CBX), exerted similar effects on the responses to oxytocin, 100 mIU·mL–1, reducing the response from 256.7 ± 33.6, P < 0.001, to 102.7 ± 10.4, P < 0.001; Pdiff < 0.01, n = 6) and nystatin, which was unaffected (95.0 ± 20.9, P < 0.01, vs. 132.0 ± 27.0, P < 0.01; Pdiff: NS, n = 6). Our results suggest that either gap junctions or, alternatively, unapposed gap junction hemichannels, may be important in the regulation of Jw in the isolated toad bladder, by modulating a step in the physiological process leading to increased apical membrane permeability. Key words: Bufo arenarum, toad urinary bladder, water flow, epithelial permeability, n-octanol, carbenoxolone.

Nature of ADH-Induced Endosomes In Toad Urinary Bladder Granular Epithelial Cells

Serosal ADH stimulation enhances water flow under an imposed osmotic gradient through insertion of water channels (aggrephores) into the mucosal plasma membrane of toad urinary bladder sacs. Following cessation of ADH actions, water channels are retrieved as endosomes that can be visualized by mucosal inclusion of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into round vesicles, long tubules and multivesicular bodies within the cytosol (1,2,3). Endosomes also occur adjacent to golgi bodies or lysosomes (1,2,3). However, true nature of endosomes including their formation at the mucosal surface and their shuttling in granular cells is still unclear (4,5). Current studies were undertaken to understand the role of endosomes in water channel cycling in this renal membrane model.Urinary bladder sacs removed surgically from doubly-pithed toads, were suspended at ends of glass tubes. Control (no hormone) and experimental bladder sacs were exposed to ADH for 10 min in the absence of osmotic gradient.

Plasma Membrane Water Permeability of Cultured Cells and Epithelia Measured by Light Microscopy with Spatial Filtering

A method was developed to measure the osmotic water permeability (Pf) of plasma membranes in cell layers and applied to cells and epithelia expressing molecular water channels. It was found that the integrated intensity of monochromatic light in a phase contrast or dark field microscope was dependent on relative cell volume. For cells of different size and shape (Sf9, MDCK, CHO, A549, tracheal epithelia, BHK), increased cell volume was associated with decreased signal intensity; generally the signal decreased 10–20% for a twofold increase in cell volume. A theory relating signal intensity to relative cell volume was developed based on spatial filtering and changes in optical path length associated with cell volume changes. Theory predictions were confirmed by signal measurements of cell layers bathed in solutions of various osmolarities and refractive indices. The excellent signal-to-noise ratio of the transmitted light detection permitted measurement of cell volume changes of &lt;1%. The method was applied to characterize transfected cells and tissues that natively express water channels. Pf in control Chinese hamster ovary cells was low (0.0012 cm/s at 23°C) and increased more than fourfold upon stable transfection with aquaporins 1, 2, 4, or 5. Pf in apical and basolateral membranes in polarized epithelial cells grown on porous supports was measured. Pfbl and Pfap were 0.0011 and 0.0024 cm/s (MDCK cells), and 0.0039 and 0.0052 cm/s (human tracheal cells) at 23°C. In intact toad urinary bladder, basolateral Pf was 0.036 cm/s and apical membrane Pf after vasopressin stimulation was 0.025 cm/s at 23°C. The results establish light microscopy with spatial filtering as a technically simple and quantitative method to measure water permeability in cell layers and provide the first measurement of the apical and basolateral membrane permeabilities of several important epithelial cell types.

Presence of Caveolae in the Granular Epithelial Cells of Rabbit Urinary Bladder

Previously, we reported the presence of caveolae, clathrin-coated pits and vesicles in toad urinary bladder granular epithelial cells, and in smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Since then we investigated the occurrence of caveolae in the rabbit urinary bladder cells. Here we report for the first time the presence of caveolae and clathrin-coated pits and vesicles in the granular epithelial, smooth muscle and endothelial cells of rabbit urinary bladders.Urinary bladder sacs were surgically removed from doubly pithed toads and anaesthetized rabbits, and allowed fixation for 1 hr in 2% glutaraldehyde in PIPES buffer. These bladder tissues were divided for scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for comparative analysis. A postfixation using 1% osmium tetroxide was carried out for 1 hr. Tissues were appropriately processed for SEM and TEM observations. Ultrathin sections, made with a diamond knife, were taken on bare nickel grids and then exposed to uranyl acetate and lead citrate for viewing in the TEM.