Background: Recently, two isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) have been identified, a constitutive form (COX-1) and a mitogen-inducible form (COX-2). Several studies have suggested that COX is activated in renal insufficiency, but little is known about the relationship between progression of renal insufficiency and the COX isoforms. Methods: Five-sixths-nephrectomized (NX) rats were used. 4, 8, and 12 weeks after nephrectomy, the renal cortical prostaglandin contents and the expression levels of the two isoforms of COX were determined by enzyme immunoassay and Western-blotting, respectively. The localization of COX was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results: Renal cortical prostacyclin (PGI₂) and COX-2 were significantly upregulated 8 and 12 weeks after NX, while COX-1 remained at the basal level. There was a high correlation between COX-2 and creatinine clearance (r = –0.845). There was also a high correlation between COX-2 and PGI₂ (r = 0.816). Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression of COX-2 to be enhanced in the macula densa in NX rats. Conclusions: Renal cortical COX-2 and prostacyclin were upregulated corresponding to the progression of renal insufficiency in NX rats. These results suggest enhancement of COX-2 expression in the macula densa, perhaps stimulated by a decrease in renal blood flow which upregulates PGI₂ synthesis to protect the kidney from ischemia in renal insufficiency.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has a cytoprotective role in the gastric parietal cell. PGE2 opened a housekeeping basolateral Cl- channel of rabbit gastric parietal cells, the single channel conductance of which was about 0.3 picosiemens. In the present patch-clamp and Fura 2 fluorescence studies, we found that PGE2 increased the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and that PGE2-induced opening of the Cl- channel depended on the increase of [Ca2+]i. A novel bifunctional prostaglandin EP3 agonist/EP1 antagonist, 5(Z)-7-[1S, 2S, 3S, 5R)-3-(trans-beta-styren) sulfonamido-6,6-dimethylbicyclo- (3.1.1)hept-2-yl]-5-heptenoic acid, also increased both [Ca2+]i and channel opening. The PGE2-induced effect was mediated via production of nitric oxide (NO); that is, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, an inhibitor of NO production, markedly inhibited the PGE2-induced channel opening, and nitroprusside, a NO donor, induced the channel opening in the absence of PGE2. Both PGE2 and A23187, Ca2+ ionophore, elevated the cGMP content of isolated parietal cells. The A23187-induced channel opening was abolished by methylene blue, a guanylate cyclase inhibitor. In conclusion, we found that the PGE2-induced opening of the housekeeping Cl- channel in the parietal cell involves the EP3 receptor-mediated increase in [Ca2+]i via a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein, resulting in successive production of NO and cGMP.

1 The membrane potential of rabbit gastric parietal cells is dominated by a Cl-channel with a subpicosiemens single channel conductance in the basolateral membrane. The effects of 3- [[[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)

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