Jw. Verlander et al., ACTIVATION OF ACID-SECRETING INTERCALATED CELLS IN RABBIT COLLECTING DUCT WITH AMMONIUM-CHLORIDE LOADING, The American journal of physiology, 266(4), 1994, pp. 60000633-60000645
In normal rabbit, immunolabeling of intercalated cells in the outer me
dullary collecting duct (OMCD) demonstrates band 3-like protein in the
basolateral plasma membrane (15) and H+-adenosinetriphosphatase (H+-A
TPase) in the apical plasma membrane and cytoplasmic vesicles (30). Ho
wever, in type A intercalated cells in the cortical collecting duct (C
CD), band 3-like protein is located primarily in multivesicular bodies
and cytoplasmic vesicles (15), whereas H+-ATPase is present in cytopl
asmic vesicles only in most intercalated cells (30). In this study, we
observed the effect of chronic acid loading on immunolocalization of
these transporters in the collecting duct. Adult New Zealand White rab
bits received either normal tap water (controls) or 75 mM NH4Cl for 12
days plus eight daily gavages of 2-6 meg NH4Cl/kg body wt. At time of
death, mean urine pH of acid-loaded animals was 5.96 (SD = 0.69), vs.
8.47 (SD = 0.07) in controls. Kidneys were fixed by in vivo perfusion
and processed for light and electron microscopic immunoperoxidase loc
alization of band 3-like protein and immunogold localization of H+-ATP
ase. In controls, band 3-like protein was largely confined to multives
icular bodies in the majority of positive-staining intercalated cells
in the CCD and to the basolateral plasma membrane of intercalated cell
s in the OMCD. In acid-loaded rabbits, band 3 protein-positive interca
lated cells in the inner CCD and the in the outer stripe of the OMCD (
OMCD(0)) were strikingly stellate in form. Basolateral plasma membrane
label was intensified, while the number of labeled multivesicular bod
ies was diminished. Morphometric analysis demonstrated an increase in
the amount of basolateral plasma membrane in these intercalated cells.
In control rabbits, H+-ATPase immunoreactivity in intercalated cells
in the CCD was located predominantly over cytoplasmic vesicles. A mino
rity of intercalated cells exhibited basolateral plasma membrane label
, and only an occasional cell displayed apical plasma membrane label.
In acid-loaded rabbits, H+-ATPase immunoreactivity was enhanced along
the apical plasma membrane of intercalated cells in the inner CCD, and
morphemetric analysis demonstrated increased apical plasma membrane i
n band 3-positive intercalated cells in this segment. These results su
ggest that rabbits respond to acid loading via enhancement of both ele
ctrogenic proton secretion and Cl-/HCO3- exchange in intercalated cell
s in the inner CCD and the OMCD(0).