Nitric oxide-induced hyperpolarization stimulates low-conductance Na+ channel of rat CCD

We used the patch-clamp technique in the split-open cortical collecting duct (CCD) to investigate the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the low-conductance (6-pS) Na+ channel that can be blocked by 1 microM amiloride. We confirmed that the number of Na+ channels increased significantly in CCDs of rats on a low-Na+ diet (17). Application of 100 microM N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an agent that blocks endogenous NO synthase, reduced NPo [the product of channel number (N) and open probability (Po)] to 45% of the control value. The effect of L-NAME was specific, since addition of D-NAME, which does not inhibit NO synthase, did not change the activity of the Na+ channel. That the effect of L-NAME results from inhibition of NO synthase is further confirmed by experiments in which addition of an exogenous NO donor, either 10 microM S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine or sodium nitroprusside (SNP), restored the Na+ channel activity when it had been blocked by L-NAME. The action of NO involves a guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent pathway, since 100 microM 8-bromo-cGMP (8-BrcGMP) mimicked the effect of SNAP on K+ channels. However, 100 microM 8-BrcGMP did not alter the activity of Na+ channels in inside-out patches, suggesting an indirect action. Because the Na+ channel is activated by hyperpolarization (19) and NO stimulates basolateral K+ channels (16), we tested whether hyperpolarization mediated the effect of NO. In perforated whole cell recordings, addition of L-NAME depolarized the cell membrane from -73 to 51 mV, and application of 10 microM SNP repolarized the membrane to -68 mV. Furthermore, the L-NAME-induced decrease in NPo was effectively restored by 25 mV hyperpolarization of the patch membranes, and addition of 2 mM Ba2+ also abolished the effect of L-NAME. We concluded that the stimulatory effect of NO on the Na+ channel is an indirect effect mediated by a NO-induced increase of basolateral K+ conductance.