Interaction of aldosterone and oxytocin to influence renal sodium excretion in rats

Aldosterone-induced protein kinase signalling and the control of electrolyte balance

Aldosterone acts through the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) to modulate gene expression in target tissues. In the kidney, the principal action of aldosterone is to promote sodium conservation in the distal nephron and so indirectly enhance water conservation under conditions of hypotension. Over the last twenty years the rapid activation of protein kinase signalling cascades by aldosterone has been described in various tissues. This review describes the integration of rapid protein kinase D signalling responses with the non-genomic actions of aldosterone and transcriptional effects of MR activation.

Rapid natriuretic action of aldosterone in the rat

Rapid, nongenomic actions of aldosterone have been demonstrated in a number of cell types in vitro, including renal cell lines, but there remains little direct evidence that it is able to exert rapid effects on the kidney in the whole animal. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine whether aldosterone induces rapid changes in the renal handling of electrolytes or acid-base balance in the anesthetized rat. With the use of a servo-controlled fluid replacement system, spontaneous urine output by anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats was replaced with 2.5% dextrose. After a 3-h equilibration and a 1-h control period, rats were infused with aldosterone (42 pmol/min) or vehicle for 1 h. Aldosterone infusion induced a rapid (within 15 min) increase in sodium excretion that peaked at 0.24 ± 0.08 compared with 0.04 ± 0.01 μmol·min−1 100·body weight−1 ( P = 0.041) in the vehicle-infused rats. This natriuresis was not associated with changes in glomerular filtration rate; urine flow rate; potassium, chloride, or bicarbonate excretion; or urine pH. The mechanisms involved are unclear, but because we have previously shown that aldosterone stimulates a rapid (4 min) increase in cAMP generation in the rat inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) (Sheader EA, Wargent ET, Ashton N, and Balment RJ. J Endocrinol 175: 343–347, 2002), they could involve cAMP-mediated activation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel, which drives sodium secretion in the IMCD.

Relaxin-induced changes in renal sodium excretion in the anesthetized male rat

Pregnancy is associated with profound changes in renal hemodynamics and electrolyte handling. Relaxin, a hormone secreted by the corpus luteum, has been shown to induce pregnancy-like increases in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and alter osmoregulation in nonpregnant female and male rats. However, its effects on renal electrolyte handling are unknown. Accordingly, the influence of short (2 h)- and long-term (7 day) infusion of relaxin on renal function was determined in the male rat. Short term infusion of recombinant human relaxin (rhRLX) at 4 μg·h−1·100 g body wt−1 induced a significant increase in effective renal blood flow (ERBF) within 45 min, which peaked at 2 h of infusion (vehicle, n = 6, 2.1 ± 0.4 vs. rhRLX, n = 7, 8.1 ± 1.1 ml·min−1·100 g body wt−1, P < 0.01). GFR and urinary excretion of electrolytes were unaffected. After a 7-day infusion of rhRLX at 4 μg/h, ERBF (1.4 ± 0.2 vs. 2.5 ± 0.4 ml·min−1·100 g body wt−1, P < 0.05), urine flow rate (3.1 ± 0.3 vs. 4.3 ± 0.4 μl·min−1·100 g body wt−1, P < 0.05) and urinary sodium excretion (0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 1.2 ± 0.1 μmol·min−1·100 g body wt−1, P < 0.05) were significantly higher; plasma osmolality and sodium concentrations were lower in rhRLX-treated rats. These data show that long-term relaxin infusion induces a natriuresis and diuresis in the male rat. The mechanisms involved are unclear, but they do not involve changes in plasma aldosterone or atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations.

Arginine vasopressin increases renal sodium excretion in the anesthetized rat through V1 receptors

We have previously suggested that the increase in renal Na+ excretion in response to physiological doses of arginine vasopressin (AVP) is not directly linked to the V2-mediated antidiuretic effect. In the present study we investigated the possible involvement of AVP V1 receptors in this natriuresis using a specific AVP V1 antagonist [1-(beta-mercapto-beta, beta-cyclopentamethylenepropionic acid), 2-O-methyltyrosine arginine vasopressin, d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2]AVP, infused at a rate of 15 ng.min-1. Male anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on a continuous jugular infusion of 0.077 M NaCl at 150 microL.min-1. After a 3-h equilibration period, samples were collected at 20-min intervals for 4 h for the determination of urine flow, and Na+ and K+ excretion rates. In those animals in which the effects of AVP were studied, a 1-h control period was allowed following which AVP was infused at 0.02-0.08 pmol.min-1 for 1 h 20 min in separate groups of animals and then returned to the infusate alone for the last part of the experiment. In other groups the AVP V1 antagonist d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2]AVP (15 ng.min-1) alone or in combination with AVP (at various dose rates) was also administered for 1 h 20 min. All dose rates of AVP produced an antidiuresis which was associated significantly to increased Na+ excretion rate. However, AVP administration at the median dose rate (0.04 pmol.min-1) significantly (p < 0.01) decreased the amount of urine voided by comparison with control animals (6.34 +/- 1.05 ml vs. 11.892 +/- 0.03 mL, n = 7) although the urinary Na+ was elevated (967 +/- 18 mumol, vs. 742 +/- 81 mumol, n = 7). This AVP-induced increase in urinary Na+ loss was abolished in animals receiving combined AVP (0.04 pmol.min-1) and AVP V1 antagonist (674 +/- 47 mumol, n = 7) although the antidiuretic effect persisted. Urine flow and Na+ excretion rates remained unchanged in groups of animals administered AVP V1 antagonist alone. In all groups, the K+ excretion rates did not significantly differ. It is concluded that the V1 receptor mediates the natriuretic effect of AVP.