Renal dopamine receptor signaling mechanisms in spontaneously hypertensive and Fischer 344 old rats

A new common functional coding variant at the DDC gene change renal enzyme activity and modify renal dopamine function

The intra-renal dopamine (DA) system is highly expressed in the proximal tubule and contributes to Na+ and blood pressure homeostasis, as well as to the development of nephropathy. In the kidney, the enzyme DOPA Decarboxylase (DDC) originating from the circulation. We used a twin/family study design, followed by polymorphism association analysis at DDC locus to elucidate heritable influences on renal DA production. Dense single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping across the DDC locus on chromosome 7p12 was analyzed by re-sequencing guided by trait-associated genetic markers to discover the responsible genetic variation. We also characterized kinetics of the expressed DDC mutant enzyme. Systematic polymorphism screening across the 15-Exon DDC locus revealed a single coding variant in Exon-14 that was associated with DA excretion and multiple other renal traits indicating pleiotropy. When expressed and characterized in eukaryotic cells, the 462Gln variant displayed lower Vmax (maximal rate of product formation by an enzyme) (21.3 versus 44.9 nmol/min/mg) and lower Km (substrate concentration at which half-maximal product formation is achieved by an enzyme.)(36.2 versus 46.8 μM) than the wild-type (Arg462) allele. The highly heritable DA excretion trait is substantially influenced by a previously uncharacterized common coding variant (Arg462Gln) at the DDC gene that affects multiple renal tubular and glomerular traits, and predicts accelerated functional decline in chronic kidney disease.

Instrumental conditioning for food reinforcement in the spontaneously hypertensive rat model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Background

The spontaneously hypertensive rat is thought to show good validity as a model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in part because of impaired delayed reinforcement behaviour, corresponding to the dynamic developmental theory of the disorder. However, some previous studies may have been confounded use of fluid reward. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the spontaneously hypertensive rat and two comparison strains (Wistar and Wistar Kyoto) using a non-delayed food reinforcement paradigm in an attempt to advance knowledge of basic learnt behaviour in this strain, without potentially confounding reward sensitivity, which could impact on motivation to learn. Rats were trained on a fixed ratio 1 two choice discrimination schedule, extinction, reacquisition and reversal. We also tested non-reinforced spontaneous alternation to facilitate data interpretation.

Results

The spontaneously hypertensive rat displayed slower shaping and reduced on task activity during task acquisition, contrasting with previous results which indicate either enhanced responding and an impairment only when a delay is used; we suggest several reasons for this. In line with previous work, the same strain exhibited poor extinguishing of behaviour but were not impaired to the same extent on reversal of the discrimination. Finally, non-reinforced alternations on a Y-maze were also reduced in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Conclusions

In sum, the spontaneously hypertensive rat appear to show poor response inhibition in reinforced and non-reinforced contexts. However, impaired response inhibition was reduced during reversal when an opposite response produced food reward alongside presentation of the conditioned stimulus. We discuss the possibility of enhanced attribution of incentive salience to cues in this strain and highlight several points of caution for researchers conducting behavioural assessments using the spontaneously hypertensive rat and their associated comparison strains.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-017-2857-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Loss of NHERF-1 expression prevents dopamine-mediated Na-K-ATPase regulation in renal proximal tubule cells from rat models of hypertension: aged F344 rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats

Dopamine decreases Na-K-ATPase (NKA) activity by PKC-dependent phosphorylation and endocytosis of the NKA α1. Dopamine-mediated regulation of NKA is impaired in aging and some forms of hypertension. Using opossum (OK) proximal tubule cells (PTCs), we demonstrated that sodium-hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor-1 (NHERF-1) associates with NKA α1 and dopamine-1 receptor (D1R). This association is required for the dopamine-mediated regulation of NKA. In OK cells, dopamine decreases NHERF-1 association with NKA α1 but increases its association with D1R. However, it is not known whether NHERF-1 plays a role in dopamine-mediated NKA regulation in animal models of hypertension. We hypothesized that defective dopamine-mediated regulation of NKA results from the decrease in NHERF-1 expression in rat renal PTCs isolated from animal models of hypertension [spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and aged F344 rats]. To test this hypothesis, we isolated and cultured renal PTCs from 22-mo-old F344 rats and their controls, normotensive 4-mo-old F344 rats, and SHRs and their controls, normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. The results demonstrate that in both hypertensive models (SHR and aged F344), NHERF-1 expression, dopamine-mediated phosphorylation of NKA, and ouabain-inhibitable K⁺ transport are reduced. Transfection of NHERF-1 into PTCs from aged F344 and SHRs restored dopamine-mediated inhibition of NKA. These results suggest that decreased renal NHERF-1 expression contributes to the impaired dopamine-mediated inhibition of NKA in PTCs from animal models of hypertension.

Downregulation of Renal G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase Type 4 Expression via Ultrasound-Targeted Microbubble Destruction Lowers Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

BACKGROUND

G protein-coupled receptor kinase type 4 (GRK4) plays a vital role in the long-term control of blood pressure (BP) and sodium excretion by regulating renal G protein-coupled receptor phosphorylation, including dopamine type 1 receptor (D1R). Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) is a promising method for gene delivery. Whether this method can deliver GRK4 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and lower BP is not known.

METHODS AND RESULTS

BP, 24-hour sodium excretion, and urine volume were measured after UTMD-targeted GRK4 siRNA delivery to the kidney in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The expression levels of GRK4 and D1R were determined by immunoblotting. The phosphorylation of D1R was investigated using immunoprecipitation. The present study revealed that UTMD-mediated renal GRK4 siRNA delivery efficiently reduced GRK4 expression and lowered BP in spontaneously hypertensive rats, accompanied by increased sodium excretion. The increased sodium excretion might be accounted for by the UTMD regulation of D1R phosphorylation and function in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Further analysis showed that, although UTMD had no effect on D1R expression, it reduced D1R phosphorylation in spontaneously hypertensive rats kidneys and consequently increased D1R-mediated natriuresis and diuresis.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these study results indicate that UTMD-targeted GRK4 siRNA delivery to the kidney effectively reduces D1R phosphorylation by inhibiting renal GRK4 expression, improving D1R-mediated natriuresis and diuresis, and lowering BP, which may provide a promising novel strategy for gene therapy for hypertension.

Appetitive and consummative responding for liquid sucrose in the spontaneously hypertensive rat model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is one proposed animal model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) argued to show strong face validity on the basis of behavioural characteristics. However, SHR may have fundamental alterations to the sensitivity of fluid reward due to altered renal function that has the potential to affect performance in complex reinforced behavioural tests. This could particularly confound determination of operant motivational alterations in the SHR. We assessed baseline bodyweight, home cage lab chow and water intake in the SHR and their typical control strains: Wistar and Wistar Kyoto. We also assessed sucrose preference, and appetitive and consummative positive and negative contrast for sucrose (4% versus 20%) on a motivational runway. As expected, SHR showed enhanced water intake compared to Wistar and Wistar Kyotos but comparable lab chow intake at baseline. SHR exhibited sucrose preference for 4% and 20%, as did both control strains, but the preference for 4% was enhanced in the SHR. SHR showed significant negative and positive contrast in sucrose consumption on the runway, as did Wistar Kyotos. Wistars exhibited neither. Appetitive contrast was not measurable in the SHR due to a robust locomotor velocity increase at the age of testing. The enhanced fluid intake found in the SHR argues against using fluid reinforcers in behavioural tests. We suggest the presence of both forms of contrast in the SHR is unusual for rats tested in ad lib. food conditions while the contrast pattern in Wistars indicate abnormalities in reward sensitivity in this control strain.

Leptin and the Regulation of Renal Sodium Handling and Renal Na-Transporting ATPases: Role in the Pathogenesis of Arterial Hypertension

Leptin, an adipose tissue hormone which regulates food intake, is also involved in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. Plasma leptin concentration is increased in obese individuals. Chronic leptin administration or transgenic overexpression increases blood pressure in experimental animals, and some studies indicate that plasma leptin is elevated in hypertensive subjects independently of body weight. Leptin has a dose- and time-dependent effect on urinary sodium excretion. High doses of leptin increase Na(+) excretion in the short run; partially by decreasing renal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase (sodium pump) activity. This effect is mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and is impaired in animals with dietary-induced obesity. In contrast to acute, chronic elevation of plasma leptin to the level observed in patients with the metabolic syndrome impairs renal Na(+) excretion, which is associated with the increase in renal Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity. This effect results from oxidative stress-induced deficiency of nitric oxide and/or transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor and subsequent stimulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases. Ameliorating "renal leptin resistance" or reducing leptin level and/or leptin signaling in states of chronic hyperleptinemia may be a novel strategy for the treatment of arterial hypertension associated with the metabolic syndrome.

Dopamine, kidney, and hypertension: studies in dopamine receptor knockout mice

Dopamine is important in the pathogenesis of hypertension because of abnormalities in receptor-mediated regulation of renal sodium transport. Dopamine receptors are classified into D(1)-like (D(1), D(5)) and D(2)-like (D(2), D(3), D(4)) subtypes, all of which are expressed in the kidney. Mice deficient in specific dopamine receptors have been generated to provide holistic assessment on the varying physiological roles of each receptor subtype. This review examines recent studies on these mutant mouse models and evaluates the impact of individual dopamine receptor subtypes on blood pressure regulation.

The complex role of PPARgamma in renal dysfunction in obesity: managing a Janus-faced receptor

Obesity is frequently accompanied by insulin resistance, type II diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, a cluster of pathologies that are the major components of the metabolic syndrome. Obesity is a known cause for renal dysfunction that leads to two major renal pathologies: hypertension and glomerular and tubulointerstitial injury. Peroxizome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs) are transcription factors belonging to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily with important functions in the regulation of metabolism. The role of PPARgamma isoforms in adipogenesis and vascular inflammation associated to obesity has been vastly studied and is well recognized, albeit not completely mechanistically understood. Also, the effect of various PPARgamma agonists on blood pressure reduction in different forms of hypertension, including obesity related hypertension has been reported, but the mechanisms involved are only beginning to be studied. Even less clear is the concurrent beneficial effect of PPARgamma agonists thiazolinendiones (TZD) on blood pressure reduction in different forms of hypertension and, at the same time, in some cases, the significant water retention leading to edema and heart failure. The occurrence of both these apparently opposite effects on the renal water and sodium handling suggests a complex role of PPARgamma in the kidney that is likely related to the metabolic state. Also, PPARgamma activation leads to a reduction in mesangial cell proliferation while stimulating apoptosis. TZD treatment reduces albuminuria in obese and diabetic humans and rodent models suggesting protective effects against renal tubuloglomerular injury. The focus of this review is to present and critically discuss the recent findings on the roles of PPARgamma in the kidney in direct relation to renal function and renal injury in obesity and obesity-initiated diabetes.

The role of endocytosis in renal dopamine D1 receptor signaling

Desensitization of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) includes receptor endocytosis. This phenomenon is suggested, at least for some receptors, to be associated with receptor resensitization. Here, we examined the role of receptor endocytosis for two different GPCR, the dopamine-1 (D1) receptor and the beta1-adrenoceptor (beta(1)-AR) in renal tissue. The functional role of receptor endocytosis was examined on Na+, K+ -ATPase activity in microdissected proximal tubules from rat kidney. The spatial regulation of endogenous D1 receptors and beta(1)-AR was examined by confocal microscopy techniques in LLCPK cells. Phenylarsine oxide (PAO) an endocytosis inhibitor, attenuated isoproterenol-induced decrease in Na+, K+ -ATPase activity but had no such effect on dopamine-induced decrease in Na+, K+ -ATPase activity. We have previously shown that isoproterenol sensitizes the renal dopamine system, by recruiting silent D1 receptors from the interior of the cell towards the plasma membrane. This effect was attenuated by PAO as well as by cytochalasin D while these substances had no effect on dopamine-induced D1 receptor recruitment. The beta(1)-AR was localized to the plasma membrane in control cells. Isoproterenol induced a rapid internalization of the beta(1)-AR; which was prevented by PAO. The results suggest that endocytosis of beta(1)-AR in renal proximal tubular cells is an important step in signal generation, while endocytosis of proximal tubular D1 receptor is not.

Linkage of the dopamine receptor D1 gene to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has a strong genetic basis, and evidence from human and animal studies suggests the dopamine receptor D1 gene, DRD1, to be a good candidate for involvement. Here, we tested for linkage of DRD1 to ADHD by examining the inheritance of four biallelic DRD1 polymorphisms [D1P.5 (-1251HaeIII), D1P.6 (-800HaeIII), D1.1 (-48DdeI) and D1.7 (+1403Bsp1286I)] in a sample of 156 ADHD families. Owing to linkage disequilibrium between alleles at the four markers, only three haplotypes are common in our sample. Using the transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT), we observed a strong bias for transmission of Haplotype 3 (1.1.1.2) from heterozygous parents to their affected children (P=0.008). Furthermore, using quantitative trait TDT analyses, we found significant and positive relationships between Haplotype 3 transmission and the inattentive symptoms, but not the hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, of ADHD. These findings support the proposed involvement of DRD1 in ADHD, and implicate Haplotype 3, in particular, as containing a potential risk factor for the inattentive symptom dimension of the disorder. Since none of the four marker alleles comprising Haplotype 3 is predicted to alter DRD1 function, we hypothesize that a functional DRD1 variant, conferring susceptibility to ADHD, is on this haplotype. To search for such a variant we screened the DRD1 coding region, by sequencing, focusing on the children who showed preferential transmission of Haplotype 3. DNA from 41 children was analysed, and no sequence variations were identified, indicating that the putative DRD1 risk variant for ADHD resides outside of the coding region of the gene.

L-type Ca(2+) channel regulation by pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide in vascular myocytes from spontaneously hypertensive rats

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a vasoactive peptide, modulates the L-type Ca(2+) channel current (L channel current) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) through activation and integration of two intracellular pathways, protein kinase A and protein kinase C (PKC). In the present study we compared the effects of PACAP on the L channel current in VSMC from the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive controls, Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). We found that compared with WKY, VSMC from SHR had a higher L channel current density. Stimulation by PACAP (10 nM) caused an increase in the amplitude of the whole cell current and prolonged open time in VSMC from SHR and WKY, with the increase greater in SHR. These effects of PACAP on the L channel current was mimicked by an activator of PKC. In contrast, PACAP caused a smaller increase in cAMP accumulation in VSMC from SHR than WKY, and there was no difference in the inhibitory effect of 8-bromo-cAMP on the L channel current from both type of cells. The greater increase in amplitude of the L channel current by PACAP in VSMC from SHR persisted in the presence of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphothioate, Rp-isomer, a cAMP antagonist, but not calphostin C, a PKC inhibitor. Taken together, our results show an increase in L channel current density and an enhanced PACAP effect on the L channel current in VSMC from SHR compared with WKY. This difference in PACAP response appears to be predominately secondary to an increased PKC sensitivity.