title: Lower Na(+)-H+ antiport activity in vascular smooth muscle cells of Wistar-Kyoto rats than spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar rats.
abstract: To determine whether increased Na(+)-H+ antiport activity in vascular smooth muscle cells may relate to the pathogenesis of hypertension in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), we monitored Na(+)-dependent alkalinization of acidified cells from the hypertensive strain and two normotensive controls, the Wistar-Kyoto rat (WKY) and the Wistar rat. Changes in intracellular pH (pHi) of cultured aortic cells were measured using the fluorescent probe 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5,6-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). The initial maximal reaction velocity of Na(+)-dependent alkalinization was significantly higher in SHR and Wistar than WKY cells. Similar results were obtained for the maximal velocity of the proton equivalent efflux: SHR, 7.51 +/- 0.71; Wistar, 9.14 +/- 0.85; WKY, 4.38 +/- 0.55 mmol H+/liter x 10 s. There were no differences in the basal pHi or cellular buffering power among the three rat strains. These findings indicate that the activity of the Na(+)-H+ antiport is higher in SHR vascular smooth muscle cells than in WKY cells. However, by itself, this difference cannot explain the hypertensive process in the SHR, since this transport system is also higher in vascular cells of the Wistar rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark 07103.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomonari
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aviv
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR / Q000378:metabolism*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005452:Fluoresceins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; C043829:2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein