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J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 282, Issue 12, 9042-9052, March 23, 2007
Colonic Anion Secretory Defects and Metabolic Acidosis in Mice Lacking the NBC1
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| ABSTRACT |
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cotransporter is expressed in many tissues, including kidney and intestinal epithelia. NBC1 mutations cause proximal renal tubular acidosis in humans, consistent with its role in
absorption in the kidney. In intestinal and colonic epithelia, NBC1 localizes to basolateral membranes and is thought to function in anion secretion. To test the hypothesis that NBC1 plays a role in transepithelial
secretion in the intestinal tract, null mutant (NBC1-/-) mice were prepared by targeted disruption of its gene (Slc4a4). NBC1-/- mice exhibited severe metabolic acidosis, growth retardation, reduced plasma Na+, hyperal-dosteronism, splenomegaly, abnormal dentition, intestinal obstructions, and death before weaning. Intracellular pH (pHi) was not altered in cAMP-stimulated epithelial cells of NBC1-/- cecum, but pHi regulation during sodium removal and readdition was impaired. Bioelectric measurements of NBC1-/- colons revealed increased amiloride-sensitive Na+ absorption. In Ringer solution containing both Cl- and
, the magnitude of cAMP-stimulated anion secretion was normal in NBC1-/- distal colon but increased in proximal colon, with the increase largely supported by enhanced activity of the basolateral NKCC1 Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter. Anion substitution studies in which carbonic anhydrase was inhibited and transepithelial anion conductance was limited to
revealed a sharp decrease in both cAMP-stimulated
secretion and SITS-sensitive current in NBC1-/- proximal colon. These results are consistent with the known function of NBC1 in
absorption in the kidney and demonstrate that NBC1 activity is a component of the basolateral mechanisms for
uptake during cAMP-stimulated anion secretion in the proximal colon. | INTRODUCTION |
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cotransporter (NBC)2 isoform 1 is a member of the Slc4a gene family, which includes both
exchangers and
cotransporters (13). NBC1 has two protein variants, which localize to basolateral membranes (4) and mediate electrogenic
cotransport (2, 3). The kNBC1 variant is expressed in kidney epithelia and eye (4, 5), and the pNBC1 variant is expressed in pancreas, duodenum, colon, and several other tissues (4 8). The stoichiometry of the transporter can be altered from
to
by phosphorylation of a residue near the carboxyl terminus (9). In the kidney, the ion stoichiometry and electrochemical driving forces for NBC1 result in Na+ and
extrusion across the basolateral membrane (2, 3, 9, 10); thus, in the kidney, NBC1 functions in
reabsorption in the proximal tubule (2, 3). In pancreas and the intestinal tract, the ion stoichiometry and driving forces for NBC1 appear to result in Na+ and
entry into the cell (2, 8); thus, in intestine and colon, NBC1 has been proposed to mediate
uptake across the basolateral membrane to support transepithelial anion secretion (8, 11).
Human patients with proximal renal tubular acidosis resulting from mutations in NBC1 have been reported (1216), thereby confirming a bicarbonate-absorptive role for NBC1 in kidney. The primary mutations were single amino acid substitutions (R298S, T485S, R510H, A799V, R881C, and S427L), which appeared to cause decreased function of the cotransporter rather than loss of function (1214). One patient had an inactivating mutation in the unique N terminus of the kidney NBC1 variant (Q29X), but the pancreatic variant, which is expressed in many other tissues and at low levels in kidney (4), was intact (15). Only a single patient has been identified with a complete inactivating mutation, a nucleotide deletion that causes a frameshift at codon 721 (16). The pRTA resulting from NBC1 mutations clearly shows that this transporter is essential for renal
absorption; however, clinically significant intestinal disease has not been reported.
NBC1 has been localized to the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells lining both the small and large intestine (8, 17, 18). In the colon, its expression was greatest in crypt cells, consistent with a role in transepithelial anion secretion (19). Previous studies investigating
cotransport activity in intestinal epithelia using relatively nonspecific inhibitors of
transport support the hypothesis that NBC1 is a component of the basolateral anion uptake mechanisms that facilitate transepithelial anion secretion and regulate pHi (1820); however, at least two additional
cotransporters, the electroneutral NBCn1 and the electrogenic NBC4, are also expressed in intestinal epithelia (17, 21). NBCn1 is present on the basolateral membrane of small intestinal enterocytes (17) and is co-expressed with NBC1 in colonic crypts (18), whereas the membrane localization of NBC4 has not been determined in intestinal epithelia (21). To understand the role of NBC1 in transepithelial anion secretion in the intestinal tract and also to assess its importance in kidney and other tissues, we developed a mouse carrying a targeted disruption of the Slc4a4 gene. Our data show that the loss of NBC1 in mice causes severe metabolic acidosis and impaired transepithelial
secretion in the colon. These results are consistent with the known function of NBC1 in bicarbonate absorption in the kidneys and demonstrate that it also serves a major secretory function in the intestinal tract.
| EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES |
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5 days of age, offspring were genotyped by PCR analysis of tail DNA using the following primers: a forward primer from the deleted region of intron 9 (5'-TCACAAACCTTTCAGCAAAAGAGTGC-3') that identifies only the wild-type allele; a reverse primer from intron 9 (5'-CAAAGAGCAACAGTCAGACAGC-3') that identifies both wild-type and mutant alleles; and a primer from the neomycin resistance gene (5'-GACAATAGCAGGCATGCTGG-3') that identifies only the mutant allele. Amplification using DNA from a tail biopsy and all three primers in the same reaction yields 269- and 241-bp products for the wild-type and mutant alleles, respectively. Northern Blot AnalysisTotal RNA (30 µg) isolated from tissues of 14-day-old mice using Tri Reagent (Molecular Research Center, Inc., Cincinnati, OH) was denatured with glyoxal, fractionated by electrophoresis in 1% agarose, transferred to a nylon membrane, and hybridized with a 32P-labeled NBC1 cDNA probe.
HistologyTissue samples (brain, eye, kidney, spleen, pancreas, small intestine, cecum, proximal colon, distal colon, lung, and heart) were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, dehydrated, and embedded in paraffin. Samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined for histological changes by light microscopy.
Analysis of Blood and Blood CountsAt 1415 days of age, NBC1+/+, NBC1+/-, and NBC1-/- pups were sacrificed by decapitation, and trunk blood was collected into heparinized tubes for analysis on a blood gas analyzer (Chiron Diagnostics model 248, Norwood, MA). Plasma Na+ and K+ concentrations were determined using flame photometry (model 480; Corning Glass). For peripheral blood counts, blood smears were obtained from the tail vein and allowed to dry. Samples were then stained for 2 min with Giemsa stain, washed in distilled water, and coverslipped using CytoSeal. Smears were analyzed for the percentage of nucleated red blood cells, myelocytes (includes myelocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils), lymphocytes, and mononuclear white blood cells.
Analysis of Serum AldosteroneMice were euthanized with CO2, and blood was drawn by cardiac puncture. Serum was separated from whole blood via centrifugation and was stored at -80 °C. Serum from two mice was pooled together and diluted 1:4 in phosphate-buffered saline; a total of 14 mice were used for each genotype. Aldosterone concentrations were determined using a commercially available radioimmunoassay kit (Diagnostic Products, Los Angeles, CA) according to the manufacturer's directions. Samples were counted using a
counter (Packard Instrument Co.).
BCECF MicrofluorimetryThe method used for imaging intact intestinal epithelium of the cecum was based on a previously described technique for imaging epithelial cells in intact duodenum (23). Following asphyxiation in 100% CO2 and bilateral pneumothorax, the cecum of 1418-day-old animals was removed and placed immediately in an oxygenated, ice-cold Ringer solution. The ceca were opened along the mesenteric border, and the serosa and muscularis externa were removed from the underlying mucosa as previously described (24). The muscle-stripped preparations were mounted basolateral (serosal) side up on a horizontal bilateral perfusion chamber (24). The luminal (mucosal) and serosal surfaces were independently bathed with Ringer solution containing 1 µM indomethacin to minimize the effect of endogenous prostaglandins and 10 µM forskolin (to stimulate anion secretion and basolateral anion uptake) (25, 26). In addition, the serosal bathing medium contained 0.1 µM tetrodotoxin to minimize neural tone and 1 µM EIPA to inhibit activity of the basolateral Na+/H+ exchanger. The cecal segments were incubated with 16 µM BCECF-AM for 10 min on the luminal side in a modified Krebs bicarbonate Ringer solution containing TES and 140.0 mM Na+, 114.8 mM Cl-, 5.0 mM TES, 25.0 mM
, 5.2 mM K+, 2.8 mM
, 1.2 mM Ca2+, 1.2 mM Mg2+, and 16.8 mM glucose that was gassed with 95% O2, 5% CO2 at 37 °C (pH 7.4). As described previously (24),
10 epithelial cells were selected for ratiometric analysis of BCECF fluorescence. During Na+ removal, the serosal surface of the tissue was bathed in a Na+-free Ringer solution containing 140.0 mM N-methyl-D-glucamine, 114.8 mM Cl-, 5.0 mM TES, 25.0 mM choline, 25.0 mM
, 5.2 mM K+, 2.8 mM
, 1.2 mM Ca2+, 1.2 mM Mg2+, and 16.8 mM glucose (gassed with 95% O2, 5% CO2 at 37 °C, pH 7.4).
Ussing Chamber AnalysisFollowing asphyxiation of 1418-day-old animals in 100% CO2 and bilateral thoracotomy, proximal, and distal colon samples were removed by a midline incision and placed in oxygenated, ice-cold Ringer solution (with 1 µM indomethacin). Tissues were opened along the mesenteric border and the muscle layers underlying the mucosa of the proximal colon segments removed by sharp dissection. Distal colon segments were used with the muscle layer intact. Colons were mounted in standard Ussing chambers (0.1-cm2 exposed surface area), and the mucosal and serosal surfaces were independently bathed in 4 ml of Krebs-bicarbonate Ringer solution (37 °C, gassed with 95% O2 and 5% CO2)as described previously (27, 28). For Cl- substitution experiments, gluconate was substituted on an equimolar basis. To minimize the variations in neural tone and the generation of endogenous prostanoids, tetrodotoxin (0.1 µM serosal) and indomethacin (1 µM, mucosal and serosal) were added to the bathing solutions (25, 26). Forskolin (10 µM) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (100 µM) were added to the mucosal and serosal baths of amiloride-pretreated (10 µM) tissues to stimulate intracellular cAMP prior to the sequential addition of bumetanide (100 µM) and SITS (1 mM) to the serosal side. For all experiments, the final concentration of dimethyl sulfoxide in the bath Ringer solution was maintained at or below 0.1%.
Transepithelial short circuit current (Isc; reported as µA/cm2 tissue surface area) was measured using an automatic voltage clamp (VCC-600; Physiologic Instruments, San Diego, CA) as previously described (29). Transepithelial conductance (Gt, reported in mS/cm2 tissue surface area) was determined at 5-min intervals during the experiment by measuring the magnitude of the current deflection from application of a 5-mV pulse across each tissue and applying Ohm's law. All experiments were performed under short circuited conditions with the serosal bath serving as ground.
Immunoblot AnalysisMice were euthanized, and the colons were removed, cleaned in ice-cold 1x phosphate-buffered saline, flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -70 °C until further processing. Frozen tissues were pulverized in liquid nitrogen using a tissue grinder, and the tissue powder was suspended in prechilled 1x homogenization buffer (10 mM NaCl, 20 mM Pipes (pH 7.0), 5 mM EDTA, 0.5% Nonidet P-40, 2 mM dithiothreitol plus protease inhibitors and phosphatase inhibitors). The samples were then homogenized using a Polytron 3000 homogenizer, and the proteins were allowed to solubilize over ice for 2 h. Protein concentration was estimated by the Bradford method.
The presence of NKCC1 protein and phosphorylated NKCC1 was determined by immunoblotting after separation of lysate proteins by electrophoresis on a discontinuous, 7% reducing SDS-polyacrylamide gel. The antibodies (described in Refs. 30 and 31) used were T4 for NKCC1 (contributed to the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank, University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA) by C. Lytle and B. Forbush), R5 for NKCC1 that was phosphorylated on two regulatory threonine residues (a gift from Dr. Biff Forbush, Yale University), and antiactin (Sigma A4700) for the loading control.
StatisticsA two-tailed unpaired Student's t test assuming equal variances was used to compare data from two treatment groups. A one-way analysis of variance with a post hoc Tukey's t test was used for comparisons among more than two treatment groups. A probability value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All values are reported as the mean ± S.E.
MaterialsAll reagents were obtained from Sigma. Tetrodotoxin was dissolved at a stock concentration of 100 µM in 0.2% acetic acid. Forskolin and indomethacin were dissolved at stock concentrations of 10 mM in dimethyl sulfoxide. 3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine and amiloride were dissolved at stock concentrations of 10 mM in sterile water. EIPA was dissolved at a stock concentration of 1 mM in dimethyl sulfoxide. Acetazolamide and SITS were dissolved at stock concentrations of 10 and 100 mM in the perfusion Ringer solution for the experiment in which they were used (i.e. Krebs bicarbonate Ringer or Cl--free Ringer solution). Bumetanide was dissolved at a stock concentration of 100 mM in ethanol.
| RESULTS |
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Gross PhenotypeGenotype frequencies of pups obtained from heterozygous matings exhibited a normal 1:2:1 Mendelian ratio (25.9% wild type, 48.6% heterozygous, and 25.5% null mutant among more than 1000 pups), with no alteration in the percentage of male or female null mutant mice. At birth,
25% of NBC1-/- mice were notably smaller than their wild-type and heterozygous littermates. As they developed during the postnatal period, all of the knockouts were emaciated, exhibited severe growth retardation (Fig. 2, A and B), and their teeth had a chalky white appearance and were easily chipped. NBC1 null mutants had poor survival, with death beginning about 5 days after birth and no survival beyond 24 days (Fig. 2C).
Of the knock-out pups that survived to at least 20 days of age,
80% exhibited mild to severe intestinal impactions in the terminal ileum, cecum, and colon; however, the intestinal tracts of mice that died at much earlier ages were not obstructed. Regardless of whether they had intestinal impactions, 1221-day-old NBC1-null mice had small, corkscrew ceca, a phenotype that has been observed in mice lacking either the CFTR Cl- channel (32, 33) or the NKCC1 Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (34), both of which have defects in intestinal anion secretion (34, 35).
A broad range of tissues from 1418-day-old wild-type and NBC1-/- mice were analyzed by light microscopy. Despite the intestinal anion secretory defect described below and the ocular defects and mental retardation observed in some patients with NBC1 deficiency (1216), all segments of the intestinal tract, eye, and brain appeared normal. Although NBC1 is expressed in renal proximal tubule epithelial cells, the proximal tubule appeared histologically normal. As described below, spleen and blood abnormalities were observed, although these appear to be secondary to the metabolic acidosis. Analysis of bone was not performed; however, when brains were isolated for histological analysis, the skulls were observed to be very thin and virtually transparent, which is likely to be due to the severe acidosis (see "Discussion").
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concentrations were sharply reduced in null mutants, and because there was no diarrheal state, which is the only other condition that could lead to significant loss of
, this systemic acidosis is clearly of renal origin. Blood
concentrations were also significantly reduced in heterozygous mutants, indicating that NBC1 haploinsufficiency causes a mild pRTA. Plasma Na+ concentrations were mildly reduced in NBC1-/- mice, whereas there was no significant difference in K+ concentrations (Table 1). Serum aldosterone levels were sharply increased in NBC1-/- mice (Fig. 3), as would be expected in response to a proximal tubule absorptive defect and resulting hypovolemia.
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). As shown in Fig. 5, the base-line pHi before Na+ removal and readdition was not significantly different between NBC1+/+ and NBC1-/- epithelia. However, as shown by the pHi trace in Fig. 6A, NBC1+/+ cells exhibited rapid acidification following removal of Na+ (indicative of reversal of
cotransport) and alkalinization upon the readdition of Na+ to the serosal solution. In contrast, NBC1-/- cecal epithelial cells demonstrated marked attenuation of these pHi responses during Na+ removal and readdition (Fig. 6B). The cumulative data (Fig. 6, C and D) show that the rate of acidification when serosal Na+ was removed and the rate of pHi recovery when Na+ was restored were significantly reduced in NBC1-/- cells, consistent with the loss of a major basolateral
cotransport system.
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Anion Secretory Capacity in the Colon of NBC1-/- and Wild-type MiceIn small intestine and colon, bulk transepithelial anion secretion occurs predominantly in the crypts, and expression of both the apical membrane anion channel (CFTR) and NBC1 are higher in crypts than in villi or surface epithelium (18, 37). Because of the small size of NBC1 null mutants (47 g), it was not possible to analyze small intestinal tissue in Ussing chambers, and only colonic tissue was used to analyze the anion secretory functions of NBC1. Tissues were pretreated with amiloride to block ENaC activity.
Despite previous studies indicating that NBC1 is important in
uptake to support transepithelial anion secretion (18, 19), NBC1-/- proximal colons exhibited no deficit but had a significantly increased maximal Isc response to cAMP stimulation when experiments were performed in physiologic Ringer solution (containing both Cl- and
) (Fig. 8A). The increase in Isc response was supported by increased activity of the NKCC1 Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter, as indicated by a greater bumetanide-sensitive Isc (Fig. 8A). There were no significant differences between wild-type and NBC1-/- tissues in either the SITS-sensitive Isc or the residual cAMP-stimulated Isc remaining after sequential treatment with bumetanide and SITS. In distal colon, there were no differences between wild-type and NBC1-/- tissues in the Isc response to cAMP stimulation or subsequent treatment with bumetanide (Fig. 8B), indicating that increased activity of NKCC1 in response to NBC1 deficiency is limited to the proximal segment of the colon.
Northern blot analysis revealed no significant change in NKCC1 mRNA levels (data not shown), indicating that transcriptional up-regulation of NKCC1 is not involved in the observed increase in NKCC1 activity in NBC1-/- proximal colon. Immunoblot analysis of NKCC1 protein (Fig. 9A) also showed no significant differences between the two genotypes, indicating that increased NKCC1 protein was not involved. Because phosphorylation of NKCC1 is a major mechanism for acute up-regulation of NKCC1 activity, immunoblot analysis was performed using an antibody (31) that recognizes two of the phosphothreonine residues involved in activation of NKCC1 (Fig. 9B). This experiment also revealed no significant differences between the two genotypes.
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secretion, we removed Cl- from the bathing medium, thereby eliminating activity of the Cl--dependent basolateral Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter. This manipulation left
, which could be taken up across the basolateral membrane and/or generated inside the cell by the activity of carbonic anhydrase as the only CFTR-permeant anion. Under these conditions, we observed no difference in the Isc response to cAMP between NBC1-/- and wild-type tissues (Fig. 10A). Furthermore, cAMP-stimulated NBC1-/- and wild-type proximal colons exhibited essentially the same reduction in Isc response following treatment with SITS (-36.0 ± 9.2 and -32.3 ± 9.5 µA/cm2 in wild-type and NBC1-/- tissues, respectively). The presence of a SITS-sensitive current in NBC1-/- proximal colon, at levels equivalent to those observed in wild-type tissue, suggests the presence of a non-NBC1, SITS-sensitive
transporter in NBC1-/- proximal colon that mediates
20% of the anion current under these experimental conditions. However, the experiments shown in Fig. 10A did not reveal a contribution by NBC1, which has been reported to be sensitive to inhibition by SITS (20).
In contrast to the above findings, inhibition of carbonic anhydrase activity by acetazolamide, which would restrict the source of
to that transported into the cell from the serosal solution, greatly attenuated the cAMP-stimulated Isc response in the NBC1-/- proximal colon (Fig. 10B). The Isc response to cAMP in NBC1+/+ proximal colons was equivalent to that observed in the absence of carbonic anhydrase activity. However, the cAMP-stimulated Isc in acetazolamide-treated wild-type proximal colon exhibited greatly increased sensitivity to inhibition by SITS. The magnitude of this change was approximately equal to the difference in the Isc response to cAMP between wild-type and NBC1-/- proximal colons under these conditions, suggesting that NBC1 activity can be increased during carbonic anhydrase inhibition to maintain normal levels of
secretion. The fact that the SITS-sensitive current in the NBC1-/- proximal colons was sharply reduced or absent during carbonic anhydrase inhibition (Fig. 10, compare A and B) also suggests that the putative non-NBC1, SITS-sensitive
transporter is dependent on carbonic anhydrase activity. Finally, the residual current detected in both NBC1+/+ and NBC1-/- proximal colon indicated the presence of a non-NBC1, SITS-insensitive
transporter that contributes to transepithelial, electrogenic
secretion (Fig. 10B).
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| DISCUSSION |
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concentrations allowed confirmation of the metabolic acidosis that would be predicted on the basis of the well established
-absorptive function of NBC1 in the kidney. More importantly, because intestinal anion secretion is well established before weaning, we were able to assess the role of NBC1 in colonic anion secretion.
Metabolic Acidosis and Mild HyponatremiaSevere metabolic acidosis, with plasma
concentrations of 4.07.6 mM and pH values of 6.80 6.93, was the phenotypic trait most likely to be responsible for the high morbidity and mortality among NBC1 null mutants. Metabolic and respiratory acidosis and decreased plasma
concentrations in neonates have been associated with blood hyperviscosity and poor perfusion of organs (brain, kidney, and digestive tract) (38). Given (i) the expression of NBC1 in the renal proximal tubule, including that of the mouse (39), where it mediates
reabsorption across the basolateral membrane (13); (ii) the absence of a diarrheal state, which can also cause
wasting; and (iii) the occurrence of pRTA in human patients with mutations in NBC1, it seems likely that the acidosis in the NBC1 mouse model is a proximal renal tubular acidosis. Interestingly, NBC1 heterozygous mouse mutants exhibited a small but significant decrease in blood
, suggesting that NBC1 haploinsufficiency in mice causes a mild metabolic acidosis. This observation is consistent with reports that some of the NBC1 mutations associated with pRTA in humans may cause decreased ion transport rather than complete loss of activity (12, 14).
A small reduction in plasma Na+ and an increase in serum aldosterone, with no increase in plasma K+, were also observed, consistent with a role for NBC1 in Na+-fluid volume homeostasis. The mild hyponatremia was surprising, because reductions in plasma Na+ have not been reported in humans with NBC1 deficiency, and mice lacking either the NHE3 Na+/H+ exchanger (40), the NKCC2 Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter (41), or the thiazide-sensitive NaCl cotransporter (42), which function as the major transporters for uptake of Na+ across the apical membranes of the proximal tubule, thick ascending limb, and distal convoluted tubule, respectively, exhibit no reductions in plasma Na+.
Dental AbnormalitiesThere are at least two reports of pRTA patients with confirmed NBC1 mutations that also had dental abnormalities (13, 16) and an earlier report described two patients with inherited pRTA of unknown causes that had similar dental abnormalities (43). The occurrence of a tooth defect in NBC1-/- mice that results in incisors that are prone to enamel chipping suggests that NBC1 mutations contribute to this defect in humans. Whether this trait is due to the loss of NBC1 activity in tissues involved in tooth development or is secondary to systemic effects of the loss of NBC1 in kidney has not been determined. However, mice lacking the CFTR Cl- channel have a similar tooth defect that involves altered mineral content and abnormal formation of enamel (44, 45). CFTR mRNA expression has been shown to occur in the apical tooth bud (45), and the extracellular pH of incisor enamel was more acidic in CFTR-deficient mice (46). A model has been proposed in which the CFTR and an electrogenic
cotransporter regulate enamel pH via transepithelial
fluxes (46). The results of the current study demonstrate a role for NBC1 in transepithelial
transport in the intestine and support the hypothesis (46) that this isoform might serve a similar function during the development of tooth enamel.
During the collection of brains for histological analyses, we noticed an apparent deficiency in mineralization of the skull bones. Whether NBC1 plays a direct role in the ion transport processes involved in bone formation is unclear, however, because metabolic acidosis itself can inhibit bone formation (47) and induce bone resorption (48). Thus, regardless of whether NBC1 is directly involved in bone formation, the acidosis resulting from the renal defect would be expected to impair bone formation.
Absence of Pancreatic HistopathologyDespite evidence that NBC1 is required for pancreatic duct
secretion (2), pancreatic abnormalities have not been reported in humans with NBC1 mutations, and no overt histological evidence of pancreatic duct obstruction was observed in NBC1-/- mice (data not shown). As noted above, however, most of the human patients that have been identified so far carry mutations that reduce rather than eliminate NBC1 activity, which may not be sufficient to cause a serious perturbation of duct function. In our mouse studies, histological analysis of the pancreas was performed only on young animals (14 days of age). Thus, it is possible that pathological changes resulting in overt pancreatic duct obstruction may be age-dependent. Also, it should be noted that CFTR deficiency, which causes severe pancreatic insufficiency in humans, causes only minimal histological changes in mouse pancreas (32). Therefore, the mouse may be less susceptible than humans to pancreatic duct pathology.
Splenomegaly and Increased Nucleated Red Blood CellsNBC1-/- mice exhibited severe splenomegaly, an expansion of the red pulp, and alterations in peripheral blood components, including an increase in circulating nucleated red cells, which are not normally seen at significant numbers in wild-type animals. This is unlikely to be a primary effect of NBC1 deficiency, because Northern blot analysis showed that NBC1 is not expressed at detectable levels in spleen (data not shown). An increase in the number of circulating nucleated red cells is known to occur in infants suffering from fetal acidemia (49, 50), and an expansion of the red pulp occurs in spleens of human patients with chronically increased rates of erythrocyte breakdown (51), which would be expected to increase the numbers of immature red blood cells in the circulation. The anemia observed in NBC1-/- mice is also consistent with a loss of mature erythrocytes. Thus, the increased size and histological alterations of the spleen and the changes in peripheral blood may be secondary to the severe acidosis in NBC1-/- mice. As far as we are aware, splenomegaly, alterations in blood cells, and anemia have not been reported in human patients with NBC1 mutations, which could be due to reduced severity of the acidosis in humans.
Role of NBC1 in Anion Secretion in the Intestinal TractOn the basis of studies using relatively nonspecific inhibitors, a role in anion secretion in the small intestine and colon has been proposed for NBC1 (18, 19). Direct evidence of this role for NBC1 in native intestine is lacking, however, and intestinal defects in humans with NBC1 mutations have not been reported.
In the intestinal tract, NBC1 is expressed on basolateral membranes, where it is thought to play a major role in anion uptake to support transepithelial
secretion (18, 19) and also to support transepithelial Cl- secretion by operating in a coupled system with the AE2
exchanger (52). To obtain a direct measurement of NBC1 activity in intestinal tract tissue, we measured the serosal Na+-dependent changes in pHi during cAMP stimulation of cecal surface epithelium. When basolateral Na+/H+ exchange was inhibited, the rates of cellular acidification and pHi recovery during removal or readdition of Na+ from the serosal side of the tissue were significantly reduced in NBC1-/- cecum as compared with control tissue. These findings are consistent with major activity of NBC1 as a basolateral
cotransporter in wild-type large intestine.
The impactions in the NBC1-/- small intestine, cecum, and colon initially suggested the occurrence of a severe secretory defect similar to that observed in mice lacking the CFTR Cl- channel (32). However, the data in Fig. 8 showed that maximum cAMP-stimulated anion secretory capacity of the isolated NBC1-/- proximal colon, rather than being reduced, was significantly increased, whereas the secretory capacity of NBC1-/- distal colon was essentially unchanged when compared with these colonic segments in the wild-type animal. Thus, these data indicate that the loss of NBC1 in the intestinal tract does not, by itself, cause a massive deficit in anion secretory capacity.
However, loss of NBC1 caused major alterations in the basolateral transport mechanisms that support transepithelial anion secretion. When analyzed in the presence of both Cl- and
, the bumetanide-sensitive component of the cAMP-stimulated current was sharply increased (Fig. 8A), indicating that much of the increased anion secretory capacity observed in isolated tissues was due to increased activity of NKCC1. The mechanism underlying the increased NKCC1-supported secretion in the NBC1-/- colon is unclear but does not involve increased NKCC1 protein levels. Western blot analysis using an antibody (31) that detects phosphorylation of two threonine residues (corresponding to amino acids 212 and 217 of human NKCC1) that serve as regulatory phosphorylation sites detected no differences between the levels of phosphorylated NKCC1 in wild-type and NBC1-deficient colons. However, it is known that NKCC1 activity can be rapidly altered by phosphorylation events, with the involvement of at least 5 threonine residues located in the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain (53, 54), including the two mentioned above. The apparent compensation by NKCC1 observed in isolated tissues correlates well with studies suggesting that the combined activities of the AE2 Cl-/
exchanger and a
cotransporter that was presumed to be NBC1 provide an alternative basolateral anion uptake mechanism in NKCC1-deficient intestine (52) and with studies showing that up-regulation of NKCC1-supported secretion occurs in the proximal colon of AE2 null mutant mice (55).
Our data suggest that the impactions in the lower intestinal tract of NBC1-/- mice do not result from deficiencies in total anion secretory capacity but rather from an imbalance between absorption and secretion in vivo, with absorption predominant. As expected in response to increased serum aldosterone, which probably occurs as a secondary effect of hypovolemia, the amiloride-sensitive Isc (reflecting activity of the epithelial Na+ channel) was increased in both the proximal and distal colon of NBC1-/- mice. Increased ENaC activity is associated with increased absorption of Na+ from the lumen of the colon but does not, by itself, lead to impactions (56). We were unable to analyze transport activity in the small intestine; however, systemic acidosis in rats has been shown to increase activity of the NHE3 Na+/H+ exchanger (57), the dominant mechanism of Na+ absorption in the small intestine (28, 40). Thus, the severe acidosis in NBC1-/- mice may lead to an increase in absorption of Na+, with accompanying fluid, in both small and large intestine, thereby contributing to dehydration of the intestinal contents.
Despite the increase in absorption, one might anticipate that the enhanced secretory capacity, as observed in the proximal colon, would allow a balance between absorption and secretion and maintenance of appropriate fluidity of the luminal contents. However, it should be noted that the in vitro measurements of anion secretion were obtained using solutions containing 110 mM Cl- and 25 mM
or 25 mM
alone. Under these in vitro conditions, increased activities of other basolateral membrane transporters and/or carbonic anhydrase appear to compensate for the loss of NBC1 activity to maintain anion secretion (and
secretion in the absence of Cl-)at or above wild-type levels. However, the in vivo anion secretory activity is not known, and it is apparent that the increase in secretory capacity observed in vitro does not overcome the significant increases in absorption in vivo. Given the reduced availability of plasma
for uptake across the basolateral membrane (
5 mM in NBC1-/- mice as compared with
22 mM in wild-type mice), the capacity for secretion of anions, and especially for
, may be severely limited in the NBC1-/- intestine under in vivo conditions.
Studies of the NBC1-/- colon also provided insight into the complex interactions that exist between basolateral membrane
uptake proteins and carbonic anydrases in the support of transepithelial
secretion. In experiments in which
was the only CFTR-permeant anion, NBC1-/- proximal colon exhibited normal Isc responses to cAMP, and there was no significant reduction in the SITS-sensitive Isc when compared with that of wild-type tissue (Fig. 10A). Thus, NBC1 activity was not apparent under these conditions. However, when
availability was limited by inhibition of carbonic anhydrase with acetazolamide (Fig. 10B), NBC1-/- proximal colon exhibited a distinct reduction in cAMP-stimulated Isc. In wild-type proximal colon, the activity of a SITS-sensitive transporter apparently maintained the Isc response at levels equivalent to those observed in tissue that had not been treated with acetazolamide. Furthermore, the SITS-sensitive current, which accounted for
65% of the Isc, was not observed in NBC1-/- proximal colon during carbonic anhydrase inhibition, and the difference between the cAMP-stimulated Isc in NBC1+/+ and NBC1-/- proximal colon was equivalent to the SITS-sensitive Isc in wild-type tissue. These findings are consistent with previous reports that NBC1 is sensitive to SITS (20) and demonstrate that a switch to NBC1-supported transepithelial
secretion can occur in wild-type proximal colon when intracellular generation of
by carbonic anhydrase activity is insufficient.
In addition to demonstrating a role for NBC1 in anion secretion, the data obtained in the presence of
alone provided evidence of a non-NBC1, SITS-sensitive
transporter (the SITS-sensitive activity in NBC1-/- tissue in Fig. 10A) and a SITS-insensitive
transporter (the residual activity in Fig. 10A). Two candidates for these activities are NBC4 and NBCn1, both of which are expressed in colon (19, 21); however, there is insufficient information about their inhibitor profiles, cell type distribution, and membrane expression patterns in colon to resolve their contributions to the cAMP-stimulated Isc observed in Fig. 10. NBCn1 is coexpressed with NBC1 on basolateral membranes of villus cells of the duodenum (17), and NBCn1 mRNA levels in colon were 30% of the levels of NBC1 mRNA (19). NBCn1 is relatively insensitive to the stilbene disulfonate DIDS (3), so it may correspond to the SITS-insensitive transporter. The reduction in SITS-sensitive activity that occurred in NBC1 null proximal colon in response to acetazolamide (-32.3 ± 9.5 µA/cm2 in Fig. 10A versus -8.0 ± 2.0 µA/cm2 in Fig. 10B) suggests that the putative non-NBC1, SITS-sensitive
transporter requires carbonic anhydrase for maximum activity. This may reflect a direct interaction between carbonic anhydrase and the putative
cotransporter, as several
transporters, including NBC1 and several
exchangers, have been shown to bind carbonic anhydrase to form a bicarbonate transport metabolon (6, 58, 59).
ConclusionOur results confirm that NBC1 is required for maintenance of systemic pH homeostasis in mice, consistent with its established role in
reabsorption in the kidney. More importantly, they provide direct evidence that NBC1 contributes to anion secretion in the gut. In the proximal colon, NBC1 appears to be an important component of a complex system for
uptake and generation to support electrogenic secretion of
across the apical membrane in response to cAMP. Other sources of
for electrogenic secretion include carbonic anhydrase-catalyzed hydration of CO2, an additional SITS-sensitive
transporter, and possibly a SITS-insensitive
transporter. In the absence of NBC1, other basolateral ion transporters and carbonic anhydrase appear to compensate to maintain Cl- and
secretory capacity in the NBC1-/- proximal colon in vitro, with NKCC1 playing a particularly prominent role. Nevertheless, it appears that increased absorption resulting from deficits in systemic Na+-fluid volume and acid-base homeostasis and possibly reduced secretion due to the very low plasma
resulting from severe metabolic acidosis leads to desiccation of the luminal contents and impactions in the terminal ileum, cecum, and colon in vivo.
| FOOTNOTES |
|---|
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed: Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, 231 Albert Sabin Way, ML524, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0524. Tel.: 513-558-0056; Fax: 513-558-1885; E-mail: shullge{at}ucmail.uc.edu.
2 The abbreviations used are: NBC,
cotransporter (the number following NBC refers to the specific isoform); NBC1-/-, NBC1+/-, and NBC1+/+, NBC1 homozygous mutant, heterozygous mutant, and wild type, respectively; pRTA, proximal renal tubular acidosis; ES, embryonic stem; BCECF-AM, 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein tetraacetoxy methylester; EIPA, 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)-amiloride; SITS, 4-acetamide-4'-isothiocyanato-2,2'-stilbene disulfonic acid; CFTR, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator; NKCC1, Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter; pHi, intracellular pH; ENaC, epithelial sodium channel; TES, N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid; Pipes, 1,4-piperazinediethanesulfonic acid. ![]()
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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