Epidermal growth factor receptor regulation in rat kidney: two models of renal growth

The binding of 125I-labeled epidermal growth factor (EGF) to plasma membranes prepared from rat kidney cortex was studied following unilateral nephrectomy, a model of proximal tubule cell hypertrophy, and following the administration of folic acid, a model of proximal tubule cell hyperplasia. Binding of 125I-EGF was a linear function of basolateral membrane protein content and time of incubation. Specific binding to luminal brush-border membranes was not evident in these studies. Neither insulin nor insulin-like growth factor I could displace EGF binding, indicating that binding was specific. Scatchard analysis revealed a single binding site. The KD in sham-operated animals 48 h after surgery was 11.2 +/- 1.4 nM, whereas Bmax averaged 95.2 +/- 4.1 fmol/mg protein (n = 3). Similar values were obtained in nephrectomized animals. The Bmax of folic acid-untreated animals averaged 212.5 +/- 6.9 fmol/mg 48 h after administration, whereas that of vehicle-injected controls averaged 85.4 +/- 9.2 (n = 3, P less than 0.001). Differences in binding were not related to changes in affinity, ligand degradation by the preparations, or receptor binding of endogenous EGF. These data indicate that regeneration following folic acid administration is associated with an upregulation of proximal nephron EGF receptors that may play an important role in the mitogenic response.