title: Rat kidney band 3 mRNA modulation in chronic respiratory acidosis.
abstract: Recent evidence indicates the existence of a protein related to the erythroid chloride-bicarbonate exchanger (band 3 protein) in the basolateral aspect of type A intercalated cells of the distal nephron. To probe the possible participation of this transporter in the renal adaptation to chronic hypercapnia, we examined the steady-state abundance of band 3 mRNA in the kidney during respiratory acidosis of variable duration. Total RNA was isolated from renal cortex and medulla of rats maintained in a 10% CO2 atmosphere for 2 or 5 days and from contemporaneous controls. The RNA was analyzed by Northern blot assay using cDNA probes for band 3 and beta-actin genes. Using a 3' cDNA probe encoding the membrane-associated domain of band 3 protein that is involved in anion exchange, we found a two- to threefold increase in steady-state mRNA levels (whether or not correction for the beta-actin signals was applied) in renal cortex and medulla at 5 days of hypercapnia. Similar, but less definitive, increases were observed at the 2-day time point. Using a 5' cDNA probe encoding an erythroid-protein segment absent from the kidney band 3 major transcript, we detected meager hybridization in renal tissue and no measurable variation during hypercapnia. Use of splenic RNA as a positive control for the 5' probe disclosed marked reduction of band 3 mRNA levels in hypercapnia, indicating organ specificity of band 3 gene expression. We conclude that steady-state levels of kidney band 3 mRNA increase in chronic respiratory acidosis as a result of transcriptional or posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms. This adaptation might be involved in the augmentation of renal acidification characteristic of chronic hypercapnia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Da Silva Júnior
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Madias
mesh_terms: D000142:Acidosis, Respiratory / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001457:Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte / Q000235:genetics*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001457:Anion Exchange Protein 1, Erythrocyte; D012333:RNA, Messenger