AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 267, Issue 3 485-G493, Copyright © 1994 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Comparison of aldosterone- and RU-28362-induced apical Na+ and K+ conductances in rat distal colon

R. B. Lomax and G. I. Sandle
Department of Medicine, University of Manchester, Hope Hospital, Salford, United Kingdom.

In mammalian distal colon, aldosterone induces electrogenic Na+ absorption and electrogenic K+ secretion, whereas the sole transport effect of specific glucocorticoid agonists is thought to be stimulation of electroneutral NaCl absorption. In this study, intracellular microelectrodes and Na(+)- and K(+)-channel blockers were used to compare the effects of aldosterone and RU-28362 (a specific glucocorticoid agonist) on apical Na+ and K+ conductances in surface cells and upper crypt cells in the most distal colonic segment from adrenalectomized rats. In control animals, surface cells and crypt cells were devoid of apical Na+ and K+ conductances. In aldosterone-treated animals (70 micrograms.100 g body wt-1.day-1 for 7 days), Na+ conductances were induced in 88% of surface cells but only 40% of crypt cells, and the distribution of K+ conductances was similar (82% of surface cells and 50% of crypt cells). The same dose of RU-28362 also induced Na+ conductances in 82% of surface cells and 50% of crypt cells, which tended to be smaller than those induced by aldosterone. RU-28362, in contrast to aldosterone, had no effect on apical K+ conductance in surface cells or crypt cells. Concurrent treatment with the mineralocorticoid antagonist RU-28318 (3.5 mg.100 g body wt-1.day-1 for 7 days) inhibited Na(+)-channel expression in aldosterone-treated animals but had no effect in RU-28362-treated animals. We conclude that in the most distal segment of rat colon, aldosterone acts via mineralocorticoid receptors to induce apical Na+ and K+ conductances, which are only fully expressed in the surface cell population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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