Diet and disease alter phosphoinositide composition and metabolism in murine polycystic kidneys

Because diet can affect the progression of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and because renal phosphoinositide metabolism is altered in mice with PKD, the effects of diet and disease on phosphoinositide composition and metabolism were examined in kidneys of mice with PKD. The phosphatidylinositol-phosphate (PIP) to phosphatidylinositol (PI) molar ratio was higher (0.034 +/- 0.003 vs. 0.023 +/- 0.001, P < 0.01) and the PI-bisphosphate (PIP2) to PIP molar ratio was lower (0.70 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.19 +/- 0.10, P < 0.05) in kidneys of mice with PKD [DBA/2FG-pcy (pcy)] compared with normal controls (DBA/2J). When initial incorporation (reflecting synthesis) of [3H]inositol into renal phosphoinositides in mice injected with [3H]inositol was measured, the [3H]PIP to [3H]PI ratio was higher in the diseased kidneys compared with normal kidneys (0.016 +/- 0.001 vs. 0.013 +/- 0.001, P < 0.05), whereas the [3H]PIP2 to [3H]PIP ratio was not significantly different. In a study using dietary manipulations that alter the progression of PKD in pcy mice (6 vs. 25% casein and sunflower seed oil vs. fish oil in a 2 x 2 design), animals were injected intraperitoneally with [3H]inositol 5 h before killing. In these animals, the [3H]PIP2 to [3H]PIP ratio seemed to be the best indicator of disease progression. In addition, kidney weight (as altered by diet) was positively correlated (r = 0.62, P = 0.02) with the level of the [3H]PI-3-P isomer relative to total [3H]PIP in the kidney. These results demonstrate that alterations in dietary protein level and lipid composition can modulate renal phosphoinositide signal transduction in mice with PKD.