Adenylate cyclase activity along the rabbit nephron as measured in single isolated segments

A method is described, which allows adenylate cyclase activity measurement in single pieces of various nephron segments. Tubular samples of 0.5 to 2 mm length were isolated by microdissection from collagenase treated slices of rabbit kidney. A photograph of each piece was taken in order to measure its length. After a permeabilisation treatment involving preincubation in a hypoosmotic medium and a freezing step, each sample was incubated for 30 mm at 30 degrees C in a medium containing high specific (alpha-32-P)-ATP 3-10-4 M, final volume 2.5 mu 1. The (32P)-cAMP formed was separated from the other labelled nucleotides by filtering the incubate on a dry aluminium oxide microcolumn, 3H cAMP was added as a tracer for measuring cAMP recovery. The sensitivity of the method was found to be a few fentomoles (10-15 M) cAMP. cAMP generation increased linearly as a function of the incubation time up to more than 30 min, and as a function of the length of the segment used. Control and fluoride (5 mM) stimulated adenvlate cyclase activities were measured in the following segments of the nephron: early proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), pars recta of the proximal tubule (PR), thin descending limb of the loop (TDL), cortical portion of the thick ascending limb (CAL), distal convoluted tubule (dct), first branched portion of the collecting tubule (BCT), further cortical (CCT) and medullary (MCT) portions of the collecting tubule. Mean control adenylate cyclase activity varied from 7 (PR) to 75 (BCT) fmoles/mm/30 min. Flouride addition resulted in a 10 (BCT) to 50 (PR) fold increase in enzyme activity. Series of replicates gave a scatter equal to plus or minus 20% (S.D. as a per cent of the mean). The method described appears to be suitable to determine which nephron segments contain hormone-dependent adenylate cyclase.