title: Nitric oxide-induced hyperpolarization stimulates low-conductance Na+ channel of rat CCD.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, New York Medical College, Valhalla 10595, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giebisch
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D007685:Kidney Tubules, Collecting / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels; C016276:8-bromocyclic GMP; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D010396:Penicillamine; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester