Signaling pathways in the biphasic effect of angiotensin II on apical Na/H antiport activity in proximal tubule.

Low concentrations of angiotensin II (Ang II) increase, whereas high concentrations inhibit the apical Na/H antiporter activity in the proximal tubule, but the respective roles of the different signaling pathways in mediating these effects remains unsettled. We studied the effects of both low and high doses of Ang II in the presence of selective signaling pathway inhibitors, on the apical Na/H antiport activity of rat proximal tubule. Experiments were carried out in intact cells of freshly prepared tubule fragments obtained from the outer third of cortex, that is, devoid of basolateral Na/H antiport activity in the absence of bicarbonate transport and H(+)-ATPase activity. In tubules acid-loaded by an NH4Cl prepulse, Na/H antiport activity was assessed by the initial rate of intracellular pH recovery (dpHi/dt), measured with BCECF. When tubules were preincubated with low dose Ang II (10(-11) M for 3 min), dpHi/dt increased by 25 +/- 8%, whereas incubation with high dose Ang II (10(-7) M for 3 min) decreased dpHi/dt by 30 +/- 4%, compared to control (P < 0.01 in both cases). Both effects were abolished in the presence of 2.10(-3) M amiloride. Low dose Ang II-induced increase in dpHi/dt was not affected by preincubation with a specific PKA inhibitor, Rp-CPT-cAMP 10(-4) M, and was completely abolished by preincubation with PKC inhibitors, staurosporine 10(-7) M, sphingosine 5.10(-6) M, or calphostin 10(-6) M. In addition, pretreatment of rats with pertussis toxin led to a partial inhibition of the effect of low dose Ang II. The high dose-Ang II-induced decrease in dpHi/dt was not affected by pretreatment with a calcium-calmodulin kinase inhibitor W-7 10(-4) M. Conversely, pretreatment with the cytochrome P-450 inhibitor econazole 10(-5) M reversed the inhibitory effect of high dose Ang II to a stimulatory effect (24 +/- 8%, P < 0.01), quantitatively similar to the effect of low dose Ang II. In addition, arachidonate was found to exert an econazole-sensitive dose-dependent inhibitory effect on dpHi/dt, and 5,6-EET 10(-6) M, a cytochrome P-450 derived-arachidonic acid metabolite, induced a 38 +/- 9% inhibition, similar to that observed with high dose Ang II alone. There was no additive effect of 5,6-EET and high dose Ang II. Finally, pretreatment with two PLA2 inhibitors (BromoPhenacylBromide, 6.10(-6) M, and oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine, 5.10(-6) M) reversed the inhibitory effect of high dose Ang II to a stimulatory effect (32 +/- 11% and 25 +/- 11%, respectively, P < 0.05 for both inhibitors). We conclude that, in intact rat proximal cells, low dose Ang II stimulates the apical Na/H antiport through a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein-dependent PKC pathway, whereas high dose Ang II inhibits the Na/H antiport activity through the PLA2- and cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolites of arachidonate.