Inhibition of renal Na+, K+-adenosine triphosphatase by gentamicin

Inhibition of renal Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase is an early biochemical manifestation of gentamicin treatment in rats. Studies with isolated, perfused rat kidneys in filtering and nonfiltering modes indicate that gentamicin is transported across the brush border membrane before enzyme inhibition. The drug caused enzyme inhibition (42%) only in filtering kidneys, and this inhibition was blocked by spermine, an inhibitor of gentamicin binding. In purified rat renal basolateral membranes, bound [3H]gentamicin was displaced 88% by unlabeled gentamicin. After in vivo exposure to [3H]gentamicin, the radioactivity associated with the isolated basolateral membranes was displaced only 46% by unlabeled drug. These results suggest that inhibition of renal Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase by gentamicin is probably due to an interaction at the cytoplasmic face of the basolateral membrane. Scatchard plots of [3H]gentamicin binding to basolateral and brush border membranes revealed a single class of noninteracting sites in each membrane. Gentamicin did not change the bulk membrane lipid fluidity, as estimated by the fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene.