Glucose and alanine inhibition of phosphate transport in renal microvillus membrane vesicles.

Transport interactions among phosphate, glucose, and alanine were evaluated in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from the rabbit renal cortex. Both glucose and alanine inhibited the Na+ gradient-stimulated uphill accumulation of phosphate. Neither glucose nor alanine inhibited the phosphate uptake measured in the absence of Na+ or in the presence of a collapsed Na+ gradient shunted with amphotericin B. Phosphate and alanine inhibited the Na+ gradient-stimulated uphill accumulation of glucose but not the glucose uptake measured in the presence of a collapsed Na+ gradient shunted with amphotericin B. Alanine, which was more potent than glucose or phosphate in inhibiting Na+ gradient-stimulated solute transport, was also more potent than glucose or phosphate in stimulating the uptake of Na+ into the vesicles. We conclude that the inhibitory interactions among phosphate, glucose, and alanine probably represent indirect effects resulting from solute-induced alterations in the transmembrane electrochemical Na+ gradient rather than direct effects resulting from competition for a polyfunctional carrier or from allosteric interactions. Such a mechanism could explain the inhibitory interactions among phosphate, glucose, and alanine that have been observed in the intact proximal tubule.