Haemodynamic and tubular renal dysfunction in rats with sustained arterial calcinosis

1. In humans, two of the principal characteristics of vascular ageing are arterial wall calcification and decreased arterial distensibility, which induce organ damage. To amplify arterial calcium accumulation in laboratory animals, it is necessary to use an overdose of vitamin D(3). 2. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of arterial calcium overload on renal function. 3. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: control and treated rats. Treated rats were injected 10 days before the experiment with a single dose of vitamin D(3) (300 000 IU/kg, i.m.). 4. Treated rats showed a decrease in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate. Tubular parameters were not modified under basal conditions. In contrast, a statistically significant increase in the fractional excretion of Na, K, Ca and H(2)O were observed in treated rats after the acute increment of sodium distal delivery, suggesting that the reabsorptive capacity of the thick ascending limb may be altered in treated rats. 5. Thus, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity was evaluated in homogenates from renal cortex and medulla. Rats with arterial calcinosis presented a diminished activity of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase in medulla homogenates. 6. An increment in the abundance of the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter (NKCC2) was observed in renal medulla homogenates from treated rats. It is suggested that this may compensate for the inefficiency of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase under basal conditions but, in the presence of acute distal sodium overload, the increment in NKCC2 abundance may not be sufficient to compensate for the decrease in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity. 7. In summary, in our experimental model of arterial calcinosis, renal function is impaired, presenting a vascular compromise and altered function of the medullar thick ascending limb that becomes evident in the presence of acute high distal sodium delivery.