Nicotinic acid transport by brush border membrane vesicles from rabbit kidney.

The transport of nicotinic acid was investigated in brush border membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit kidney. The imposition of a Na+ gradient (out to in) induced a transient stimulation of nicotinic acid uptake above its final equilibrium value. This stimulation was specific for Na+. The uptake of nicotinic acid by the brush border membranes represented transport into an internal space and occurred in the absence of significant nicotinic acid degradation. The Na+ gradient-dependent uptake of nicotinic acid was saturable, apparent Km = 0.3 mM. Uptake of nicotinic acid was inhibited by its two isomers: picolinic and isonicotinic acid. In contrast, pyridine derivatives with two carboxyl groups or an amide group in addition to the carboxyl group were without inhibitory effect. Evaluation of changes in membrane potential using the lipophilic cation triphenylmethylphosphonium demonstrated that conditions that transiently generated either an interior-positive or an interior-negative membrane potential failed to affect the Na+-dependent transport of nicotinic acid. These findings provide evidence of the existence on the luminal membrane of a Na+ gradient-dependent and electroneutral transport system for nicotinic acid.