Xanthine effects on renal proximal tubular function and cyclic AMP metabolism.

We evaluated the renal effects of xanthines using two in vitro models: the isolated perfused rat kidney (IPRK) and cultured opossum kidney (OK) cells, a continuous cell line that resembles proximal tubule and responds to parathyroid hormone (PTH). 1,3-Diethyl-8-phenylxanthine (DPX) a potent adenosine receptor antagonist, increased urine volume, glomerular filtration rate, vascular resistance and the fractional excretions of Na, K, Ca and Pi in the IPRK. DPX lowered the Na-dependent uptake of Pi by OK cells. By comparison enprofylline, 3-propylxanthine (ENP), a weak adenosine receptor antagonist, produced a slight elevation in glomerular filtration rate but no changes in electrolyte excretion by IPRK or Pi uptake by OK cells. Both DPX and ENP produced negligible elevations in basal IPRK cAMP. A 1-nM bolus of PTH elevated urinary and perfusate cAMP 50- and 10-fold, respectively. PTH-elevated urinary and perfusate cAMP were augmented further 4- to 7-fold with DPX and 3- to 4-fold with ENP (All IPRK experiments used 50 microM xanthine). OK cells produced a 2-fold cAMP response to 10 nM PTH alone. OK cells treated with 50 microM DPX exhibited no increase in basal but a 13-fold increase in PTH-stimulated cell cAMP. The rank order of potency at 50 microM to augment OK cell cAMP with 10 nM PTH was DPX greater than 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPC) greater than 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine greater than theobromine greater than theophylline greater than caffeine greater than ENP = no effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)