Coordinated response of renal medullary enzymes regulating net sorbitol production in diuresis and antidiuresis

The renal response to changes in hydration includes variation in intracellular sorbitol, a major inner medullary osmolyte. To examine the mechanism for changes in net sorbitol production, we measured activities of enzymes regulating sorbitol production (aldose reductase) and degradation (sorbitol dehydrogenase) in untreated, water diuretic, and antidiuretic (water restriction and/or vasopressin administration) rats. Collecting duct segments dissected from collagenase-treated kidneys of Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into outer medullary and three distinct inner medullary regions. Aldose reductase activity increased during antidiuresis and decreased during diuresis. In contrast, sorbitol dehydrogenase activity was very low during antidiuresis and increased during diuresis. These changes in enzyme activity were found after 3 days, but not after 1 day, of water diuresis/antidiuresis. Enzyme activity changed only in the deepest 50% of the inner medullary collecting duct. Thus, there is coordinated regulation of aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities so that (a) during water diuresis, aldose reductase activity decreases while sorbitol dehydrogenase activity increases; and (b) during antidiuresis (water restriction and/or vasopressin administration), aldose reductase activity increases while sorbitol dehydrogenase activity remains low. We conclude that long-term osmoregulation in response to physiologic stimuli involves both aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activities in rat terminal inner medullary collecting duct segments.