title: L-NAME-treatment alters ectonucleotidase activities in kidney membranes of rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of N(omega)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) treatment, known to induce a sustained elevation of blood pressure, on ectonucleotidase activities in kidney membranes of rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  L-NAME (30 mg/kg/day) was administered to Wistar rats for 14 days in the drinking water. Enzyme activities were determined colorimetrically and their gene expression patterns were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The metabolism of ATP and the accumulation of adenosine were evaluated by HPLC in kidney membranes from control and hypertensive rats. PKC phosphorylation state was investigated by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed an increase in systolic blood pressure from 115+/-12 mmHg (control group) to 152+/-18 mmHg (l-NAME-treated group). Furthermore, the hydrolysis of ATP, ADP, AMP, and p-Nph-5'TMP was also increased (17%, 35%, 27%, 20%, respectively) as was the gene expression of NTPDase2, NTPDase3 and NPP3 in kidneys of hypertensive animals. Phospho-PKC was increased in hypertensive rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The general increase in ATP hydrolysis and in ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity suggests a rise in renal adenosine levels and in renal autoregulatory responses in order to protect the kidney against the threat presented by hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristina Ribas
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Fürstenau
authors.forename: Denise Barbosa
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Fernanda Cenci
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Vuaden
authors.forename: Emerson André
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Casali
authors.forename: Priscilla de Souza
authors.initials: Pde S
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Danielle da Silva
authors.initials: Dda S
authors.lastname: Trentin
authors.forename: Agnes Nogueira
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gossenheimer
authors.forename: Maurício Reis
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bogo
authors.forename: Carla Denise
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bonan
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Morais
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Barreto-Chaves
authors.forename: João José Freitas
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sarkis
authors.forename: Susana Tchernin
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wofchuk
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C027201:ectoATPase; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester