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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Culturing Primary Rat Inner Medullary Collecting Duct Cells
Published on: June 21, 2013
Alpha2-adrenoceptors inhibit antidiuretic hormone-stimulated Na+ absorption across tight epithelia (Rana esculenta)
C N Gudme1, A L Larsen, R Nielsen
1August Krogh Institute, Copenhagen O, Denmark. CNGudme@aki.ku.dk
Abstract:
In the present study we examined the effect of alpha-adrenergic regulation of active transepithelial Na+ absorption across the isolated frog skin epithelium. alpha-Adrenergic stimulation was achieved by addition of the adrenergic agonist noradrenaline in the presence of the beta-adrenergic blocker propranolol. alpha-Adrenergic stimulation inhibited basal as well as antidiuretic hormone (ADH)-stimulated Na+ transport. The ADH-induced increase in Na+ transport was accompanied by a membrane depolarisation due to an increase in the apical Na+ permeability. The subsequent application of noradrenaline inhibited the Na+ transport and repolarised the membrane potential, suggesting that alpha-adrenergic stimulation had reduced the apical Na+ permeability. The inhibition was abolished by the alpha2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine whereas it was insensitive to the alpha1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin. alpha-Adrenergic stimulation had no effect on the cytosolic free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]i). Incubation of the epithelium in the presence of ADH increased the cellular adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) content, an increase which was abolished by alpha-adrenergic activation. The effect of alpha-adrenergic stimulation on cAMP production was abolished by the alpha2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine. We conclude that the noradrenaline-induced inhibition of the ADH-stimulated Na+ absorption and cAMP content is mediated by activation of alpha2-adrenoceptors. The data further indicate that the principal cells of the epithelium do not express alpha1-adrenoceptors. The noradrenaline-induced inhibition of the ADH-stimulated Na+ transport was concentration dependent, with 0.24+/-0.03 microM eliciting a half-maximal response. This alpha2-adrenergic-mediated down-regulation of Na+ absorption is achieved at a concentration of noradrenaline which begins to activate the NaCl secretion via the skin glands. The alpha2-adrenoceptors therefore appear to have considerable physiological importance.
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