Kidney collecting duct-derived vasopressin is not essential for appropriate concentration or dilution of urine

We have previously shown that kidney collecting ducts make vasopressin. However, the physiological role of collecting duct-derived vasopressin is uncertain. We hypothesized that collecting duct-derived vasopressin is required for the appropriate concentration of urine. We developed a vasopressin conditional knockout (KO) mouse model wherein Cre recombinase expression induces deletion of arginine vasopressin (Avp) exon 1 in the distal nephron. We then used age-matched 8- to 12-wk-old Avp fl/fl;Ksp-Cre(-) [wild type (WT)] and Avp fl/fl;Ksp-Cre(+) mice for all experiments. We collected urine, serum, and kidney lysates at baseline. We then challenged both WT and knockout (KO) mice with 24-h water restriction, water loading, and administration of the vasopressin type 2 receptor agonist desmopressin (1 µg/kg ip) followed by the vasopressin type 2 receptor antagonist OPC-31260 (10 mg/kg ip). We performed immunofluorescence and immunoblot analysis at baseline and confirmed vasopressin KO in the collecting duct. We found that urinary osmolality (UOsm), plasma Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^-, blood urea nitrogen, and copeptin were similar in WT vs. KO mice at baseline. Immunoblots of the vasopressin-regulated proteins Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- cotransporter, NaCl cotransporter, and water channel aquaporin-2 showed no difference in expression or phosphorylation at baseline. Following 24-h water restriction, WT and KO mice had no differences in UOsm, plasma Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^-, blood urea nitrogen, or copeptin. In addition, there were no differences in the rate of urinary concentration or dilution as in WT and KO mice UOsm was nearly identical after desmopressin and OPC-31260 administration. We conclude that collecting duct-derived vasopressin is not essential to appropriately concentrate or dilute urine.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Hypothalamic vasopressin is required for appropriate urinary concentration. However, whether collecting duct-derived vasopressin is involved remains unknown. We developed a novel transgenic mouse model to induce tissue-specific deletion of vasopressin and showed that collecting duct-derived vasopressin is not required to concentrate or dilute urine.