Oxytocin affects apical sodium conductance in rabbit cortical collecting duct

The physiological role of oxytocin (OT) in the kidney is still unclear, although autoradiographic data have shown the existence of OT receptors in the rat kidney. We examined the effect of OT in the microperfused rabbit cortical collecting duct (CCD) by using conventional cable analysis and microscope photometry. On addition of 10(-9) M OT to the bath, the lumen-negative transepithelial voltage (VT) transiently increased and the transepithelial resistance (RT) and the fractional resistance of the apical membrane (FRA) (1st phase) both decreased. After this initial change, the lumen-negative VT gradually decreased below its baseline level and RT and FRA (second phase) both increased. These electrical changes were dose dependent and were prevented by the addition of 10(-5) M amiloride to the lumen. Although responses to OT were not prevented by 10(-9) M arginine vasopressin (AVP) or 10(-6) M of a V1-receptor antagonist (OPC-21268) or V2-receptor antagonist (OPC-31260), they were inhibited by the addition of the specific OT antagonist des-Gly-NH2-[d(CH2)3,Tyr(Me),Thr]OVT. Additional studies of intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) revealed that 10(-8)-10(-6) M OT caused an increase in [Ca2+]i in CCD in a dose-dependent manner. Also, pretreatment with 2 x 10(-8) M bis-(aminophenoxy)ethane-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl ester, an intracellular Ca2+ chelator, abolished the electrical and [Ca2+]i responses to OT. Pretreatment with 5 x 10(-4) M 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (CPT-cAMP) partially prevented the electrical responses to OT, thus reducing the decrease in lumen-negative VT below its basal level and the increase in RT after the 1st phase. These data show that OT affects the apical Na+ conductance of collecting duct cells through OT receptors distinct from the AVP receptors and that the effect of OT may, at least in part, be brought about by a mechanism(s) dependent on the increase in [Ca2+]i and cAMP production.