Nitric oxide reduces paracellular resistance in rat thick ascending limbs by increasing Na+ and Cl- permeabilities

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2017 Jun 1;312(6):F1035-F1043. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00671.2016. Epub 2017 Mar 8.

Abstract

About 50% of the Na+ reabsorbed in thick ascending limbs traverses the paracellular pathway. Nitric oxide (NO) reduces the permselectivity of this pathway via cGMP, but its effects on absolute Na+ ([Formula: see text]) and Cl- ([Formula: see text]) permeabilities are unknown. To address this, we measured the effect of l-arginine (0.5 mmol/l; NO synthase substrate) and cGMP (0.5 mmol/l) on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] calculated from the transepithelial resistance (Rt) and [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] in medullary thick ascending limbs. Rt was 7,722 ± 1,554 ohm·cm in the control period and 6,318 ± 1,757 ohm·cm after l-arginine treatment (P < 0.05). [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] was 2.0 ± 0.2 in the control period and 1.7 ± 0.1 after l-arginine (P < 0.04). Calculated [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were 3.52 ± 0.2 and 1.81 ± 0.10 × 10-5 cm/s, respectively, in the control period. After l-arginine they were 6.65 ± 0.69 (P < 0.0001 vs. control) and 3.97 ± 0.44 (P < 0.0001) × 10-5 cm/s, respectively. NOS inhibition with Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (5 mmol/l) prevented l-arginine's effect on Rt Next we tested the effect of cGMP. Rt in the control period was 7,592 ± 1,470 and 4,796 ± 847 ohm·cm after dibutyryl-cGMP (0.5 mmol/l; db-cGMP) treatment (P < 0.04). [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] was 1.8 ± 0.1 in the control period and 1.6 ± 0.1 after db-cGMP (P < 0.03). [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were 4.58 ± 0.80 and 2.66 ± 0.57 × 10-5 cm/s, respectively, for the control period and 9.48 ± 1.63 (P < 0.007) and 6.01 ± 1.05 (P < 0.005) × 10-5 cm/s, respectively, after db-cGMP. We modeled NO's effect on luminal Na+ concentration along the thick ascending limb. We found that NO's effect on the paracellular pathway reduces net Na+ reabsorption and that the magnitude of this effect is similar to that due to NO's inhibition of transcellular transport.

Keywords: kidney; nitric oxide; paracellular permeability; sodium transport.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginine / pharmacology
  • Biological Transport
  • Chlorides / metabolism*
  • Cyclic GMP / pharmacology
  • Electric Impedance
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Loop of Henle / drug effects
  • Loop of Henle / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Models, Biological
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / pharmacology
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / metabolism
  • Perfusion
  • Permeability
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Renal Reabsorption* / drug effects
  • Sodium / metabolism*

Substances

  • Chlorides
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Arginine
  • Sodium
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Cyclic GMP
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester