Angiotensin and single nephron glomerular function in the trout Salmo gairdneri

Why is chronic kidney disease progressive? Evolutionary adaptations and maladaptations

Despite significant advances in renal physiology, the global prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to increase. The emergence of multicellular organisms gave rise to increasing complexity of life resulting in trade-offs reflecting ancestral adaptations to changing environments. Three evolutionary traits shape CKD over the lifespan: 1) variation in nephron number at birth, 2) progressive nephron loss with aging, and 3) adaptive kidney growth in response to decreased nephron number. Although providing plasticity in adaptation to changing environments, the cell cycle must function within constraints dictated by available energy. Prioritized allocation of energy available through the placenta can restrict fetal nephrogenesis, a risk factor for CKD. Moreover, nephron loss with aging is a consequence of cell senescence, a pathway accelerated by adaptive nephron hypertrophy that maintains metabolic homeostasis at the expense of increased vulnerability to stressors. Driven by reproductive fitness, natural selection operates in early life but diminishes thereafter, leading to an exponential increase in CKD with aging, a product of antagonistic pleiotropy. A deeper understanding of the evolutionary constraints on the cell cycle may lead to manipulation of the balance between progenitor cell renewal and differentiation, regulation of cell senescence, and modulation of the balance between cell proliferation and hypertrophy. Application of an evolutionary perspective may enhance understanding of adaptation and maladaptation by nephrons in the progression of CKD, leading to new therapeutic advances.

Gene expression profiling of proximal and distal renal tubules in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) acclimated to fresh water and seawater

Euryhaline teleost kidneys undergo a major functional switch from being filtratory in freshwater (FW) to being predominantly secretory in seawater (SW) conditions. The transition involves both vascular and tubular effects. There is consensus that the glomerular filtration rate is greatly reduced upon exposure to hyperosmotic conditions. Yet, regulation at the tubular level has only been examined sporadically in a few different species. This study aimed to obtain a broader understanding of transcriptional regulation in proximal versus distal tubular segments during osmotic transitions. Proximal and distal tubule cells were dissected separately by laser capture microdissection, RNA was extracted, and relative mRNA expression levels of >30 targets involved in solute and water transport were quantified by quantitative PCR in relation to segment type in fish acclimated to FW or SW. The gene categories were aquaporins, solute transporters, fxyd proteins, and tight junction proteins. aqp8bb1, aqp10b1, nhe3, sglt1, slc41a1, cnnm3, fxyd12a, cldn3b, cldn10b, cldn15a, and cldn12 were expressed at a higher level in proximal compared with distal tubules. aqp1aa, aqp1ab, nka-a1a, nka-a1b, nkcc1a, nkcc2, ncc, clc-k, slc26a6C, sglt2, fxyd2, cldn3a, and occln were expressed at a higher level in distal compared with proximal tubules. Expression of aqp1aa, aqp3a1, aqp10b1, ncc, nhe3, cftr, sglt1, slc41a1, fxyd12a, cldn3a, cldn3b, cldn3c, cldn10b, cldn10e, cldn28a, and cldn30c was higher in SW- than in FW-acclimated salmon, whereas the opposite was the case for aqp1ab, slc26a6C, and fxyd2. The data show distinct segmental distribution of transport genes and a significant regulation of tubular transcripts when kidney function is modulated during salinity transitions.

Renin-angiotensin system in vertebrates: phylogenetic view of structure and function

Renin substrate, biological renin activity, and/or renin-secreting cells in kidneys evolved at an early stage of vertebrate phylogeny. Angiotensin (Ang) I and II molecules have been identified biochemically in representative species of all vertebrate classes, although variation occurs in amino acids at positions 1, 5, and 9 of Ang I. Variations have also evolved in amino acid positions 3 and 4 in some cartilaginous fish. Angiotensin receptors, AT₁ and AT₂ homologues, have been identified molecularly or characterized pharmacologically in nonmammalian vertebrates. Also, various forms of angiotensins that bypass the traditional renin-angiotensin system (RAS) cascades or those from large peptide substrates, particularly in tissues, are present. Nonetheless, the phylogenetically important functions of RAS are to maintain blood pressure/blood volume homeostasis and ion-fluid balance via the kidney and central mechanisms. Stimulation of cell growth and vascularization, possibly via paracrine action of angiotensins, and the molecular biology of RAS and its receptors have been intensive research foci. This review provides an overview of: (1) the phylogenetic appearance, structure, and biochemistry of the RAS cascade; (2) the properties of angiotensin receptors from comparative viewpoints; and (3) the functions and regulation of the RAS in nonmammalian vertebrates. Discussions focus on the most fundamental functions of the RAS that have been conserved throughout phylogenetic advancement, as well as on their physiological implications and significance. Examining the biological history of RAS will help us analyze the complex RAS systems of mammals. Furthermore, suitable models for answering specific questions are often found in more primitive animals.

Diverse mechanisms for body fluid regulation in teleost fishes

Teleost fishes are the major group of ray-finned fishes and represent more than one-half of the total number of vertebrate species. They have experienced in their evolution an additional third-round whole genome duplication just after the divergence of their lineage, which endowed them with an extra adaptability to invade various aquatic habitats. Thus their physiology is also extremely diverse compared with other vertebrate groups as exemplified by the many patterns of body fluid regulation or osmoregulation. The key osmoregulatory organ for teleosts, whose body fluid composition is similar to mammals, is the gill, where ions are absorbed from or excreted into surrounding waters of various salinities against concentration gradients. It has been shown that the underlying molecular physiology of gill ionocytes responsible for ion regulation is highly variable among species. This variability is also seen in the endocrine control of osmoregulation where some hormones have distinct effects on body fluid regulation in different teleost species. A typical example is atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP); ANP is secreted in response to increased blood volume and acts on various osmoregulatory organs to restore volume in rainbow trout as it does in mammals, but it is secreted in response to increased plasma osmolality, and specifically decreases NaCl, and not water, in the body of eels. The distinct actions of other osmoregulatory hormones such as growth hormone, prolactin, angiotensin II, and vasotocin among teleost species are also evident. We hypothesized that such diversity of ionocytes and hormone actions among species stems from their intrinsic differences in body fluid regulation that originated from their native habitats, either fresh water or seawater. In this review, we summarized remarkable differences in body fluid regulation and its endocrine control among teleost species, although the number of species is still limited to substantiate the hypothesis.

Compensatory regulation of acid-base balance during salinity transfer in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

In seawater-acclimated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), base secretion into the intestine is a key component of the intestinal water absorption that offsets osmotic water loss to the marine environment. Acid-base balance is maintained by the matched excretion of acid equivalents via other routes, presumably the gill and/or kidney. The goal of the present study was to examine acid-base balance in rainbow trout upon transfer to more dilute environments, conditions under which base excretion into the intestine is predicted to fall, requiring compensatory adjustments of acid excretion at the gill and/or kidney if acid-base balance is to be maintained. Net acid excretion via the gill/kidney and rectal fluid, and blood acid-base status were monitored in seawater-acclimated rainbow trout maintained in seawater or transferred to iso-osmotic conditions. As predicted, transfer to iso-osmotic conditions significantly reduced base excretion into the rectal fluid (by ~48%). Transfer to iso-osmotic conditions also significantly reduced the excretion of titratable acidity via extra-intestinal routes from 183.4 ± 71.3 to -217.5 ± 42.7 μmol kg(-1) h(-1) (N = 7). At the same time, however, ammonia excretion increased significantly during iso-osmotic transfer (by ~72%) so that the apparent overall reduction in net acid excretion (from 419.7 ± 92.9 to 189.2 ± 76.5 μmol kg(-1 )h(-1); N = 7) was not significant. Trout maintained blood acid-base status during iso-osmotic transfer, although arterial pH was significantly higher in transferred fish than in those maintained in seawater. To explore the mechanisms underlying these adjustments of acid-base regulation, the relative mRNA expression and where possible, activity of a suite of proteins involved in acid-base balance were examined in intestine, gill and kidney. At the kidney, reduced mRNA expression of carbonic anhydrase (CA; cytosolic and membrane-associated CA IV), V-type H(+)-ATPase, and Na(+)/HCO(3) (-) co-transporter were consistent with a reduced role in net acid excretion following iso-osmotic transfer. Changes in relative mRNA expression and/or activity at the intestine and gill were consistent with the roles of these organs in osmotic rather than acid-base regulation. Overall, the data emphasize the coordination of acid-base, osmoregulatory and ionoregulatory processes that occur with salinity transfer in a euryhaline fish.

The role of aquaporins in the kidney of euryhaline teleosts

Water balance in teleost fish is maintained with contributions from the major osmoregulatory organs: intestine, gills, and kidney. Overall water fluxes have been studied in all of these organs but not until recently has it become possible to approach the mechanisms of water transport at the molecular level. This mini-review addresses the role of the kidney in osmoregulation with special emphasis on euryhaline teleosts. After a short review of current knowledge of renal functional morphology and regulation, we turn the focus to recent molecular investigations of the role of aquaporins in water and solute transport in the teleost kidney. We conclude that there is much to be achieved in understanding water transport and its regulation in the teleost kidney and that effort should be put into systematic mapping of aquaporins to their tubular as well as cellular localization.

Kidneys sans glomeruli

The evolution of the vertebrate kidney records three occasions, each separated by about 50 million years, when fish have abandoned glomeruli to produce urine by tubular mechanisms. The recurring dismissal of glomeruli suggests a mechanism of aglomerular urine formation intrinsic to renal tubules. Indeed, the transepithelial secretion of organic solutes and of inorganic solutes such as sulfate, phosphate, and magnesium can all drive secretory water flow in renal proximal tubules of fish. However, the secretion of NaCl via secondary active transport of Cl is the primary mover of secretory water flow in, surprisingly, proximal tubules of both glomerular and aglomerular fish. In filtering kidneys, the tubular secretion of solute and water is overshadowed by reabsorptive transport activities, but secretion progressively comes to light as glomerular filtration decreases. Thus the difference between glomerular and aglomerular urine formation is more a difference of degree than of kind. At low rates of glomerular filtration in seawater fish, NaCl-coupled water secretion serves to increase the renal excretory capacity by increasing the luminal volume into which waste, excess, and toxic solutes can be secreted. The reabsorption of NaCl and water in the distal nephron and urinary bladder concentrates unwanted solutes for excretion while minimizing renal water loss. In aglomerular fish, NaCl-coupled water secretion across proximal tubules replaces glomerular filtration to increase renal excretory capacity. A review of the literature suggests that tubular secretion of NaCl and water is an early function of the vertebrate proximal tubule that has been retained throughout evolution. Active transepithelial Cl secretion takes place in gall bladders studied as models of the mammalian proximal tubule and in proximal tubules of amphibians and apparently also of mammals. The tubular secretion of Cl is also observed in mammalian distal tubules. The evidence consistent with and for Cl secretion in, respectively, proximal and distal tubules of the mammalian kidney calls for a reexamination of basic assumptions in renal physiology that may lead to new opportunities for managing some forms of renal disease.

Olfactory sensitivity of the gilthead seabream (Sparus auratus L) to conspecific body fluids

The potential for intraspecific chemical communication in the gilthead seabream (a marine perciform) was investigated by assessing the olfactory sensitivity to conspecific body-fluids (water occupied by conspecifics, intestinal fluid, urine, semen, egg fluid) by multiunit electrophysiological recording from the olfactory nerve. The olfactory system was responsive to water previously occupied by conspecifics, and the active compound(s) could be extracted by solid-phase extraction. The olfactory system was extremely sensitive to body fluids of sexually mature conspecifics: thresholds of detection were 1:10(7.4) (intestinal fluid), 1:10(6.1) (gametes), and 1:10(4.2) (urine). The olfactory system was also sensitive to amino acids with thresholds of detection from 10(-8.1) M (L-leucine) to 10(-6.1) M (L-phenylalanine). However, a range of other known fish odorants (steroids, bile acids, and prostaglandins) failed to evoke significant responses. Given the high olfactory sensitivity to intestinal fluid and the low urine release rates of marine compared with freshwater fish, we suggest that chemical communication is likely to be mediated via compounds present in the intestinal fluid rather than urine. Furthermore, the types of chemicals involved are likely to be different from those of freshwater fish. Their exact chemical identity and biological roles remain to be established.

Regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase activity by nitric oxide in the kidney and gill of the brown trout (Salmo trutta)

In teleost fish, successful osmoregulation involves controlled ion transport mechanisms in kidney and gill epithelia. In this study, the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase was investigated in vitro in these two tissues in brown trout (Salmo trutta) acclimated to freshwater. The NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) inhibited in situ Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity, measured as ouabain-sensitive Rb(+) uptake, in both samples of kidney and gill tissue and in isolated gill cells. The effect was dose-dependent in both tissues, with a maximal observed inhibition of approximately 40-50% (1 mmol l (-1) SNP). The time-course of inhibition revealed a maximum effect with 10 min pre-incubation. The effect of SNP was reproduced with another NO donor, papa-nonoate (NOC-15; 200 micro mol l(-1)), and was prevented by the NO scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide (PTIO; 1 mmol l(-1)). To further investigate the mechanism of the NO effect, whole-tissue Na(+) and K(+) levels were analysed. In kidney, SNP (1 mmol l(-1)) led to an increase in tissue Na(+) levels and a decrease in K(+) levels in a 3:2 ratio. In gill tissue, no change in either ion was observed. These observations indicate that the effect on Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase is direct rather than due to a decrease in intracellular Na(+), its rate-limiting substrate. SNP elevated the level of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in both kidney and gill tissue. Dibutyryl cyclic GMP (db-cGMP; 1 mmol l(-1)) also inhibited Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in both tissues. Hence, a possible mechanism may involve the cGMP-activated kinase, even though other mechanisms cannot be excluded.

Evidence for an intrarenal renin-angiotensin system in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

Physiological and molecular approaches were used to investigate the existence of an intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in rainbow trout. Inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme by captopril (5 x 10(-4 )M) rapidly decreased vascular resistance of the trunk of the trout, perfused at 19 mmHg, resulting in an increased perfusate flow rate and a decreased intrarenal dorsal aortic pressure. A profound diuresis occurred in the in situ perfused kidney and reflected both increased glomerular filtration rates and decreased water reabsorption (osmolyte reabsorption was unchanged). Renal and vascular parameters recovered once captopril treatment was stopped. Diuretic and vascular effects of captopril on the in situ trout kidney concur with an inhibition of known vasoconstrictor and antidiuretic actions of angiotensin II. However, at a higher perfusion pressure (28 mmHg), captopril had no effect on intrarenal aortic pressure or perfusate and urine flow rates, suggesting that the trout intrarenal RAS is activated by low perfusion pressures/flows. Existence of the renal RAS in trout was further supported by evidence for angiotensinogen gene expression in kidney as well as liver.

Angiotensin II binding to tissues of the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, studied by autoradiography

Tissue slices from seawater-adapted and freshwater-adapted rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, were exposed to 125I-angiotensin II (1.01.10(-9) M) and binding sites located by light-microscopic autoradiography. Binding/uptake was significantly inhibited by excess (10(-5) M) unlabelled angiotensin II, suggesting specific binding/uptake of angiotensin II to the ventral and dorsal aorta (smooth muscle), urinary bladder (smooth muscle and epithelial lining), glomeruli and proximal tubules, the gill (lamellae and central filament), skin (epithelium), intestine and oesophagus (mucosal epithelium), liver, heart (ventricular myocytes), adrenocortical tissue and brain (cerebellum and medulla oblongata). The specific binding/uptake of angiotensin II to tissues of freshwater- and seawater-adapted animals were generally similar. However, binding/uptake by the proximal tubules was significantly higher in freshwater-adapted trout than seawater-adapted trout. Specific binding/uptake of angiotensin II by the smooth muscle of the bladder was significantly higher in trout adapted to seawater than trout adapted to freshwater.

Glomerular ultrastructure of the trout, Salmo gairdneri. Glomerular capillary epithelium and the effects of environmental salinity

The epithelial ultrastructure of the glomerulus of fresh- and sea-water adapted rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri was examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy after in vivo-perfusion fixation. Adaptation to seawater for a period of up to 9 weeks was not associated with a change in glomerular size, although after one year in seawater both glomeruli and their capsules were significantly smaller than the glomeruli of freshwater adapted fish. In freshwater adapted trout the epithelial ultrastructure conformed to the general vertebrate pattern, with rounded podocytes, well-defined primary processes and interdigitating pedicels. Adaptation to seawater was associated with a marked increase in the frequency of cytoplasmic microprojections. In many glomeruli there was a flattening of the podocytes, broadening of the primary processes, and areas of closely-packed pedicels were common. These observations are discussed in the light of previous studies on the mammalian kidney and the changes of single nephron function known to be associated with adaptation of trout to increased environmental salinities.