Coordinate control of Na,K-atpase mRNA expression by aldosterone, vasopressin and cell sodium delivery in the cortical collecting duct

We have examined the respective influence of aldosterone, vasopressin and cell sodium delivery on Na+,K+-ATPase expression. The level of expression of the mRNA encoding for the alpha1- and beta1-subunits of Na+,K+-ATPase was evaluated in cortical collecting duct (CCD) cells from rats under different aldosterone status, in cells from the rat CCD cell line RCCD1 treated or not with vasopressin and in CCD cells from mice inactivated or not for the a-subunit of the epithelial sodium channel. The amount of mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization. Both aldosterone and vasopressin up-regulate transcripts encoding for the alpha1-subunit of Na+,K+-ATPase while beta1 is unaltered. Interestingly, when cell sodium entry was largely reduced (alphaENaC knock-out mice), the amount of transcripts encoding for the alpha1-subunit of Na+,K+-ATPase was significantly decreased in spite of high plasma aldosterone concentrations. No effect was observed on beta1-subunit. Altogether, these results suggest a coordinated hormonal and ionic control of Na+,K+-ATPase expression by different transcriptional pathways (steroid-receptor, cAMP-dependent and Na+dependent) in CCD cells. These regulations affect only alpha1-subunit of Na,K+-ATPase but not beta1

Activation of the amiloride-sensitive epithelial sodium channel by the serine protease mCAP1 expressed in a mouse cortical collecting duct cell line

This study examines whether serine proteases can activate the amiloride-sensitive sodium channel (ENaC) in mammalian kidney epithelial cells. The transepithelial sodium transport assessed by amiloride-sensitive short-circuit current appears to be sensitive to aprotinin, a protease inhibitor in a mouse cortical collecting duct cell line (mpkCCD(c14)). This result indicated that serine proteases may be implicated in the regulation of ENaC-mediated sodium transport. Using degenerated oligonucleotides to a previously isolated serine protease from Xenopus, xCAP1 (channel activating protease), a novel full-length serine protease (mCAP1), has been isolated and characterized. RNA analysis showed a broad pattern of expression in tissues (kidney, lung, colon, and salivary glands) expressing ENaC. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments also showed that mCAP1 was abundantly expressed in proximal tubule cells and was also expressed in intact and cultured collecting duct cells. Coexpression of the Xenopus, rat, or human alpha-, beta-, and gamma-ENaC subunits in Xenopus oocytes also showed that mCAP1 induces a significant increase in ENaC-mediated current accompanied by a decrease of channel molecules at the cell surface. It is proposed that this novel mouse channel activating protease may act as a regulator of ENaC within the kidney