Renal potassium adaptation in the rat: role of glucocorticoids and aldosterone

Renal potassium handling in rats with subtotal nephrectomy: modeling and analysis

We sought to decipher the mechanisms underlying the kidney's response to changes in K⁺ load and intake, under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. To accomplish that goal, we applied a published computational model of epithelial transport along rat nephrons in a sham rat, an uninephrectomized (UNX) rat, and a 5/6-nephrectomized (5/6-NX) rat that also considers adaptations in glomerular filtration rate and tubular growth. Model simulations of an acute K⁺ load indicate that elevated expression levels and activities of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, epithelial sodium channels, large-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels, and renal outer medullary K⁺ channels, together with downregulation of sodium-chloride cotransporters (NCC), increase K⁺ secretion along the connecting tubule, resulting in a >6-fold increase in urinary K⁺ excretion in sham rats, which substantially exceeds the filtered K⁺ load. In the UNX and 5/6-NX models, the acute K⁺ load is predicted to increase K⁺ excretion, but at significantly reduced levels compared with sham. Acute K⁺ load is accompanied by natriuresis in sham rats. Model simulations suggest that the lesser natriuretic effect observed in the nephrectomized groups may be explained by impaired NCC downregulation in these kidneys. At a single-nephron level, a high K⁺ intake raises K⁺ secretion along the connecting tubule and reabsorption along the collecting duct in sham, and even more in UNX and 5/6-NX. However, the increased K⁺ secretion per tubule fails to sufficiently compensate for the reduction in nephron number, such that nephrectomized rats have an impaired ability to excrete an acute or chronic K⁺ load.

Independent effects of aldosterone and potassium on induction of potassium adaptation in rat kidney

We examined the independent effects of a high potassium diet and increased aldosterone levels on the development of renal potassium adaptation. This condition is defined by the increased ability of the kidneys to excrete an acute infusion of potassium. Rats were adrenalectomized (ADX) and received aldosterone at basal levels (0.5 microgram/100 g X d) or at high levels (2.0 micrograms/100 g X d) for 10 d. In each experimental group, animals received either a control diet or a high potassium diet. In ADX animals with basal aldosterone levels, a high potassium intake increased but did not completely restore the ability to excrete potassium and induced proliferation of the basolateral membrane of principal cells in the collecting tubule (i.e., morphologic adaptation). In contrast, increased aldosterone did not induce functional adaptation. Elevated aldosterone and dietary potassium intake were required to produce functional potassium adaptation indistinguishable from that in potassium-loaded, adrenal-intact animals.

The role of vasodilator therapy in the treatment of severe chronic heart failure

The rationale for the use of vasodilating agents in the treatment of congestive heart failure is to reverse the systemic vasoconstriction that characterises patients with this disorder, and which may further limit cardiac performance. Nitrates were the first vasodilators used, followed by arterial vasodilators (hydralazine, minoxidil), alpha-adrenergic blockers (prazosin, trimazosin) and, more recently, calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors, beta-agonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. The choice of vasodilator should be based on consideration of overall benefit-risk profiles. Consideration of pharmacological action together with classification of patients into haemodynamic subsets has been used as a basis from which to initiate vasodilator therapy. However, such a classification may not lead to a logical choice of drug and there is no evidence to suggest that patients so selected do better when given long term treatment with peripherally specific drugs than with agents that are not tailored to pretreatment haemodynamic variables. Moreover, changes in central haemodynamics after administration of specific vasodilator drugs may differ from those expected on the basis of their presumed actions on the peripheral vasculature. Dosage requirements are difficult to predict with many vasodilator drugs. Traditionally, such requirements have been established by titrating vasodilating drugs to achieve an arbitrarily defined haemodynamic response. However, there is little correlation between haemodynamic end-points and clinical efficacy in patients with heart failure, and short and long term haemodynamic responses to vasodilator drugs are not necessarily related. Drug-specific haemodynamic and clinical tolerance occurs during the course of treatment with all vasodilator drugs; the extent and frequency with which it develops differs between agents. Tolerance is thought to arise from a reduction in drug receptor affinity and/or density or activation of counter-regulatory forces (mainly neurohormonal) that limit the magnitude of vasodilatation that can be achieved. Development of tolerance to a single agent does not usually preclude efficacy of other agents. ACE inhibitors have been associated with a relatively low incidence of tolerance. This may relate to their natriuretic effect and ability to decrease the degree of neurohormonal activation, actions not shared by other vasodilators. Tolerance is the principal reason for failure of prazosin and nitrates as therapeutic agents in severe chronic heart failure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effects of adrenalectomy and chronic adrenal corticosteroid replacement on potassium transport in rat kidney

Clearance experiments were carried out in pair-fed rats to examine the long-term effects of adrenalectomy and selective adrenal corticosteroid replacement in physiological amounts on renal potassium transport. To this end, clearance studies were conducted in rats that were sham operated, or adrenalectomized (ADX). ADX animals were given either vehicle, aldosterone (0.5 microgram/100 g body wt per day), dexamethasone (1.2 micrograms/100 g body wt per day), or aldosterone and dexamethasone, by osmotic minipump for 7-9 d whereupon clearance experiments were conducted. After chronic hormone treatment, during basal conditions when only Ringers solution was infused, all groups excreted similar amounts of potassium. However, in all ADX animals without mineralocorticoid replacement, the maintenance of urinary potassium excretion at control levels was associated with hyperkalemia, increased urine flow, and natriuresis; all are factors known to stimulate urinary potassium excretion. During acute potassium infusion, the increase in urinary potassium excretion was less in ADX rats than in controls. This functional deficiency in potassium excretion was partially corrected by dexamethasone and was uniformly associated with a significant increase in urine flow. Aldosterone replacement or aldosterone and dexamethasone given together chronically, sharply increased potassium excretion but did not restore excretion to control levels. Only acute aldosterone infusion (0.2 microgram/100 g body wt bolus plus 0.2 microgram/100 g body wt per hour), superimposed upon chronic aldosterone and dexamethasone treatment, fully restored potassium excretion to control levels. This aldosterone induced enhancement of potassium excretion, both chronic and acute, was not associated with hyperkalemia, and increased urine flow or natriuresis. Thus, physiological levels of both classes of adrenal corticosteroids stimulate renal potassium excretion albeit by different mechanisms. Mineralocorticoids stimulate tubular potassium excretion directly, whereas glucocorticoids augment excretion indirectly by increasing fluid and sodium delivery along the distal nephron.

Plasma aldosterone levels after KCl loading in rats adapted to a high potassium diet

Plasma levels of aldosterone, corticosterone, potassium and renin activity, and urinary potassium excretion, were measured in control (CK) rats, and in rats adapted to a high potassium diet (HK), before and after an acute intragastric KCl load. Prior to the KCl load there was no difference in plasma potassium (K) or plasma aldosterone. Following the KCl load, HK rats maintained a lower plasma K, and, except at 30 min after the load, a lower plasma aldosterone than CK rats. At a low plasma K there was no difference in plasma aldosterone between CK and HK rats. At a high plasma K (greater than 8 mmol/l) the HK rats had a higher plasma aldosterone for the same plasma K than CK rats. The enhanced ability to excrete an acute K load seen in HK rats seems unlikely to be due to higher levels of plasma aldosterone.