Furosemide-induced urinary acidification is caused by pronounced H+ secretion in the thick ascending limb

Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2015 Jul 15;309(2):F146-53. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00154.2015.

Abstract

The loop diuretic furosemide inhibits NaCl reabsorption in the thick ascending limb (TAL). In addition, furosemide acidifies the urine, which is traditionally explained by increased Na+ loading to the distal tubule causing an activation of H+ secretion via H+-ATPase in α-intercalated cells. The inability to acidify urine in response to furosemide serves to diagnose distal renal tubular acidosis (dysfunction of α-intercalated cells). Since the TAL is important for acid/base regulation, we speculated that it is involved in furosemide-induced urinary acidification. Luminal furosemide (100 μM) caused major, stable, and reversible intracellular alkalization (7.27 ± 0.06 to 7.6 ± 0.04) in isolated perfused murine medullary TAL and pronounced H+ secretion. This H+ secretion was fully inhibited with luminal amiloride (1 mM) and the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE)3-specific antagonist #4167 (1 μM). Moreover, furosemide triggered a substantial drop of intracellular Na+ concentration in the medullary TAL. These results suggest that the furosemide-induced H+ secretion is a consequence of a drop in intracellular Na+ concentration, increasing the driving force for NHE3. Intriguingly, in whole animal experiments, furosemide-induced urinary acidification and net acid excretion were markedly reduced by specific NHE3 inhibition. Furthermore, the furosemide-induced urinary acidification was partially preserved during epithelial Na+ channel inhibition with benzamil. These results provide new insights in the mechanism of furosemide-induced urinary acidification and emphasize the role of the TAL in renal acid/base handling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acidosis, Renal Tubular / diagnosis
  • Amiloride
  • Animals
  • Epithelial Sodium Channels / metabolism
  • Furosemide / pharmacology*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Loop of Henle / drug effects*
  • Loop of Henle / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Protons*
  • Sodium / metabolism
  • Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchanger 3
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Urine / chemistry*

Substances

  • Epithelial Sodium Channels
  • Protons
  • Slc9a3 protein, mouse
  • Sodium Potassium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchanger 3
  • Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers
  • Amiloride
  • Furosemide
  • Sodium