Recent studies have demonstrated that klotho protein plays a role in calcium/phosphate homeostasis. The goal of the present study was to investigate the regulation of Na-P(i) cotransporters in klotho mutant (kl/kl) mice. The kl/kl mice displayed hyperphosphatemia, high plasma 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) levels, increased activity of the renal and intestinal sodium-dependent P(i) cotransporters, and increased levels of the type IIa, type IIb, and type IIc transporter proteins compared with wild-type mice. Interestingly, transcript levels of the type IIa/type IIc transporter mRNA abundance, but not transcripts levels of type IIb transporter mRNA, were markedly decreased in kl/kl mice compared with wild-type mice. Furthermore, plasma fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels were 150-fold higher in kl/kl mice than in wild-type mice. Feeding of a low-P(i) diet induced the expression of klotho protein and decreased plasma FGF23 levels in kl/kl mice, whereas colchicine treatment experiments revealed evidence of abnormal membrane trafficking of the type IIa transporter in kl/kl mice. Finally, feeding of a low-P(i) diet resulted in increased type IIa Na-P(i) cotransporter protein in the apical membrane in the wild-type mice, but not in kl/kl mice. These results indicate that hyperphosphatemia in klotho mice is due to dysregulation of expression and trafficking of the renal type IIa/IIc transporters rather than to intestinal P(i) uptake.

Primary renal inorganic phosphate (Pi) wasting leads to hypophosphatemia, which is associated with skeletal mineralization defects. In humans, mutations in the gene encoding the type IIc sodiumdependent phosphate transporter lead to hereditary hypophophatemic rickets with hypercalciuria, but whether Pi wasting directly causes the bone disorder is unknown. Here, we generated Npt2c-null mice to define the contribution of Npt2c to Pi homeostasis and to bone abnormalities. Homozygous mutants (Npt2c Ϫ/Ϫ ) exhibited hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and elevated plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 levels, but they did not develop hypophosphatemia, hyperphosphaturia, renal calcification, rickets, or osteomalacia. The increased levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 in Npt2c Ϫ/Ϫ mice compared with age-matched Npt2c ϩ/ϩ mice may be the result of reduced catabolism, because we observed significantly reduced expression of renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D-24-hydroxylase mRNA but no change in 1␣-hydroxylase mRNA levels. Enhanced intestinal absorption of calcium (Ca) contributed to the hypercalcemia and increased urinary Ca excretion. Furthermore, plasma levels of the phosphaturic protein fibroblast growth factor 23 were significantly decreased in Npt2c Ϫ/Ϫ mice. Sodium-dependent Pi co-transport at the renal brush border membrane, however, was not different among Npt2c ϩ/ϩ , Npt2c ϩ/Ϫ , and Npt2c Ϫ/Ϫ mice.In summary, these data suggest that Npt2c maintains normal Ca metabolism, in part by modulating the vitamin D/fibroblast growth factor 23 axis. 20: 104 -113, 200920: 104 -113, . doi: 10.1681 Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is an essential nutrient in terms of both cellular metabolism and skeletal mineralization. The kidney is a major regulator of Pi homeostasis and can increase or decrease its Pi reabsorptive capacity to accommodate Pi needs. Up to 70% of filtered Pi is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule in which sodium (Na)-dependent Pi transport systems in the brush border membrane (BBM) mediated the rate-limiting step in the overall Pi reabsorptive process. J Am Soc Nephrol

Hereditary hypophosphatemic rickets with hypercalciuria (HHRH) is a rare autosomal recessively inherited disorder, characterized by hypophosphatemia, short stature, rickets and/or osteomalacia, and secondary absorptive hypercalciuria. HHRH is caused by a defect in the sodium-dependent phosphate transporter (NaPi-IIc/Npt2c/NPT2c), which was thought to have only a minor role in renal phosphate (P(i)) reabsorption in adult mice. In fact, mice that are null for Npt2c (Npt2c(-/-)) show no evidence for renal phosphate wasting when maintained on a diet with a normal phosphate content. To obtain insights and the relative importance of Npt2a and Npt2c, we now studied Npt2a(-/-)Npt2c(+/+), Npt2a(+/-)Npt2c(-/-), and Npt2a(-/-)Npt2c(-/-) double-knockout (DKO). DKO mice exhibited severe hypophosphatemia, hypercalciuria, and rickets. These findings are different from those in Npt2a KO mice that show only a mild phosphate and bone phenotype that improve over time and from the findings in Npt2c KO mice that show no apparent abnormality in the regulation of phosphate homeostasis. Because of the nonredundant roles of Npt2a and Npt2c, DKO animals showed a more pronounced reduction in P(i) transport activity in the brush-border membrane of renal tubular cells than that in the mice with the single-gene ablations. A high-P(i) diet after weaning rescued plasma phosphate levels and the bone phenotype in DKO mice. Our findings thus showed in mice that Npt2a and Npt2c have independent roles in the regulation of plasma P(i) and bone mineralization.

An inorganic phosphate (Pi)-restricted diet is important for patients with chronic kidney disease and patients on hemodialysis. Phosphate binders are essential for preventing hyperphosphatemia and ectopic calcification. The sodium-dependent Pi (Na/Pi) transport system is involved in intestinal Pi absorption and is regulated by several factors. The type II sodium-dependent Pi transporter Npt2b is expressed in the brush-border membrane in intestinal epithelial cells and transports Pi. In the present study, we analyzed the phenotype of Npt2b−/− and hetero+/− mice. Npt2b−/− mice died in utero soon after implantation, indicating that Npt2b is essential for early embryonic development. At 4 wk of age, Npt2b+/− mice showed hypophosphatemia and low urinary Pi excretion. Plasma fibroblast growth factor 23 levels were significantly decreased and 1,25(OH)2D3 levels were significantly increased in Npt2b+/− mice compared with Npt2b+/+ mice. Npt2b mRNA levels were reduced to 50% that in Npt2b+/+ mice. In contrast, renal Npt2a and Npt2c transporter protein levels were significantly increased in Npt2b+/− mice. At 20 wk of age, Npt2b+/− mice showed hypophosphaturia and reduced Na/Pi cotransport activity in the distal intestine. Npt2b+/+ mice with adenine-induced renal failure had hyperphosphatemia and high plasma creatinine levels. Npt2b+/− mice treated with adenine had significantly reduced plasma Pi levels compared with Npt2b+/+ mice. Intestinal Npt2b protein and Na+/Pi transport activity levels were significantly lower in Npt2b+/− mice than in the Npt2b+/+ mice. The findings of the present studies suggest that Npt2b is an important target for the prevention of hyperphosphatemia.

In the present study, we evaluated the roles of type II and type III sodium-dependent P(i) cotransporters in fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) activity by administering a vector encoding FGF23 with the R179Q mutation (FGF23M) to wild-type (WT) mice, Npt2a knockout (KO) mice, Npt2c KO mice, and Npt2a(-/-)Npt2c(-/-) mice (DKO mice). In Npt2a KO mice, FGF23M induced severe hypophosphatemia and markedly decreased the levels of Npt2c, type III Na-dependent P(i) transporter (PiT2) protein, and renal Na/P(i) transport activity. In contrast, in Npt2c KO mice, FGF23M decreased plasma phosphate levels comparable to those in FGF23M-injected WT mice. In DKO mice with severe hypophosphatemia, FGF23M administration did not induce an additional increase in urinary phosphate excretion. FGF23 administration significantly decreased intestinal Npt2b protein levels in WT mice but had no effect in Npt2a, Npt2c, and DKO mice, despite marked suppression of plasma 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) levels in all the mutant mice. The main findings were as follow: 1) FGF23-dependent phosphaturic activity in Npt2a KO mice is dependent on renal Npt2c and PiT-2 protein; 2) in DKO mice, renal P(i) reabsorption is not further decreased by FGF23M, but renal vitamin D synthesis is suppressed; and 3) downregulation of intestinal Npt2b may be mediated by a factor(s) other than 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). These findings suggest that Npt2a, Npt2c, and PiT-2 are necessary for the phosphaturic activity of FGF23. Thus complementary regulation of Npt2 family proteins may be involved in systemic P(i) homeostasis.