To understand the increased morbidity and mortality associated with acute hyponatremia in young women, we characterized the Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphtase (ATPase) pump in rat brain synaptosomes to determine if this adaptive mechanism was different between the sexes. Veratridine-stimulated sodium (Na+) uptake was significantly greater (P less than 0.001) in females than in males (8.08 +/- 0.3 vs. 5.56 +/- 0.4 nmol/mg protein), suggesting either an increased rate of Na+ uptake and/or decreased extrusion of Na+ by the Na+-K+-ATPase pump in females. Uptake rate was determined by measuring Na+ transport at 5 s, and it was found to be twice as large in females as in males (1.01 +/- 0.2 vs. 0.46 +/- 0.1 nmol/mg protein). However, in the presence of 2.5 mM ouabain, uptake in both groups were similar, suggesting that the difference was probably due to decreased function of the Na+-K+-ATPase pump in females. Transport evaluation of the Na+-K+-ATPase pump showed ouabain-sensitive K+ uptake in males to be significantly greater (P less than 0.001) than in females (10.53 vs. 4.97 nmol/mg protein), and ouabain-sensitive Na+ uptake in inverted synaptosomes was 70% greater in males (4.00 vs. 2.37 nmol/mg protein). [3H]ouabain binding studies showed maximum binding capacity in males and females to be similar (103 +/- 12 vs. 110 +/- 15 pmol/mg protein), whereas the dissociation constant was significantly (P less than 0.005) greater in males (109 +/- 8 vs. 82 +/- 6 nM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The development of symptomatic hyponatremia in otherwise healthy young women can result in death or permanent brain damage. The reasons for the increased female susceptibility to complications from hyponatremia are, however, unclear. To determine whether mechanisms that normally defend the brain against damage from hyponatremia are less effective in females than males, we studied both sodium transport in the brains of hyponatremic male and female rats and the effects of parenteral arginine vasopressin on brain high-energy phosphate metabolism and intracellular pH. Basal sodium uptake in synaptosomes prepared from whole brain of females (2.20 nmol/mg protein) and males (2.98 nmol/mg protein) was not statistically different. In contrast, veratridine-stimulated sodium uptake in female brain was 8.20 nmol/mg protein, which was 86% greater (P less than 0.001) than the 6.12 nmol/mg protein observed for male brain. Additionally, sodium uptake between 5 and 60 s was significantly (P less than 0.001) greater in females than males. These data suggest that the Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) pump function in female rat brain synaptosomes is less effective than in males. To determine whether arginine vasopressin, a peptide hormone that promotes water retention by the kidney, had any effects on cerebral energy metabolism, we performed phosphorus-31 (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies on the brain of normonatremic young adult male and female rats subjected to high (20 IU) peripheral doses of arginine vasopressin. We found decreased high-energy phosphate generation, elevated inorganic phosphate, and intracellular acidosis after arginine vasopressin administration in females but not males.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The causes of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction in uremia are not well known and are not completely reversed by dialysis. This problem was investigated in synaptosomes, which are membrane vesicles from synaptic junctions in the brain. We measured Na uptake under conditions of control, veratridine stimulation, and tetrodotoxin inhibition, in synaptosomes from normal and acutely uremic (blood urea nitrogen, 250 mg/dl) rats. In the control state, maximal Na uptake was 2.2±0.2 and 1.9±03 nmol/mg of protein in normal and uremic synaptosomes, respectively. With veratridine stimulation, Na uptake was increased by 1.9 and 3.6 nmol/mg of protein in normal vs. uremic rats (P < 0.001). The increased veratridine-stimulated Na uptake observed in uremia could be due either to increased membrane permeability to Na or decrease in the Na-K ATPase pump activity. To investigate this, we studied the Na-K ATPase pump function by evaluating uptake of K (using rubidium as a tracer), uptake of Na during ATP stimulation, and inhibition of Rb and Na uptake by ouabain. In uremic rats both Rb uptake and ATP-stimulated Na uptake were significantly less than in normals (P < 0.005). This suggests a defect in the Na-K ATPase pump. Membrane permeability for Na was then evaluated both by measuring initial Na uptake, and with addition of valinomycin. No change in Na uptake pattern was observed with valinomycin, and initial Na uptake was not significantly different in normal versus uremic synaptosomes. These data show that (a) in uremic rats veratridine-stimulated Na accumulation is significantly greater than normal; (b) the increased Na accumulation observed in uremia appears to be due to alterations in Na-K ATPase pump activity, and (c) the

In vivo PTH administration to rats resulted in increased brain synaptosomal Ca++ transport, while parathyroidectomy (PTX) resulted in decreased transport. To determine the mechanism of action of PTH on Ca++ transport in rat brain synaptosomes, we performed transport studies by the Na-Ca exchanger and also measured cAMP generation in synaptosomes from PTX rats. Ca++ transport was studied after in vivo additions of either bovine (b)PTH, cAMP, or forskolin, and adenylate cyclase activity was assessed after additions of either bPTH, forskolin, sodium fluoride (NaF), or isoproterenol. In the presence of 1-34 bPTH [10(-7) M], Ca++ uptake was significantly increased by 55% (P less than 0.001) above control, while 3-34 bPTH [10(-7) M] had no effect on uptake. Both 8br,cAMP [10(-6) M] and dibut,cAMP [10(-6) M] also significantly increased (P less than 0.001) Ca++ uptake above control by 63 and 44%, respectively. Similarly, forskolin [10(-5) M], the adenylate cyclase activator, increased Ca++ uptake by 41%. We next evaluated Ca++ efflux, and found that 1-34 bPTH [10(-7) M], 1-84 bPTH [10(-7) M], and forskolin [10(-5) M] also increased Ca++ efflux by 50, 73, and 120%, respectively, above control. Since Ca++ transport was increased by either PTH, cAMP, or forskolin, we decided to determine if PTH action on Ca++ transport in synaptosomes was dependent on cAMP. This was investigated by measuring cAMP production during the conversion of 32P-ATP to 32P-cAMP in the presence of an ATP regenerating system (30 micrograms creatine phosphokinase, 10 mM creatine phosphate), and the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor (1 mM IBMX). Whereas forskolin [10(-4) M] and NaF [100 mM] significantly increased (P less than 0.001) adenylate cyclase activity in synaptosomes by eight- and fourfold, respectively, neither 1-34 bPTH nor 1-84 bPTH increased synaptosomal cyclase activity. However, in canine renal cortical plasma membranes (CRCPM), we observed significant increases in cAMP production with either forskolin, NaF, or PTH. Finally, to determine if synaptosomes contain an intact adenylate cyclase system, we measured cAMP production in the presence of the beta adrenergic agent, isoproterenol. Isoproterenol significantly increased adenylate cyclase activity in both synaptosomes (90%) and CRCPM (50%). These data suggest that although there is an intact adenylate cyclase system in rat brain synaptosomes, PTH-stimulated calcium transport in synaptosomes appears to be independent of this system.

Both atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its receptors are present in the central nervous system, but effects of ANP on brain are unclear. In the present study, we evaluated both the effects of ANP on sodium uptake, and a possible effector mechanism, the putative intracellular second messenger guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), in rat brain synaptosomes. In the presence of ANP (10(-7) M), the basal level of sodium uptake in synaptosomes was reduced (n = 6) from the control value of 1.90 +/- 0.06 to 1.73 +/- 0.04 (SE) nmol/mg protein at 5 min, P less than 0.05. The observed reduction of sodium uptake by ANP was not influenced by blockade of the other important pathways for sodium uptake. Addition of either a sodium channel blocker (tetrodotoxin) or an inhibitor of Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) (ouabain) did not affect sodium uptake in the presence of ANP. However, the reduction of sodium uptake was completely blocked by addition of amiloride. These findings suggest that ANP reduced sodium uptake via inhibition of an amiloride-sensitive pathway for sodium uptake. cGMP is a major intracellular second messenger for ANP in other tissues. We found that after stimulation with 10(-7) M ANP, synaptosomal cGMP increased significantly from 58.0 +/- 9.5 to 73.5 +/- 10.6 fmol/mg protein (P less than 0.01). When an analogue of cGMP, 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-bromo-cGMP), was added to synaptosomes, amiloride-sensitive sodium uptake was again inhibited, by a similar amount as occurred with ANP. It appears that in rat brain, ANP inhibits amiloride-sensitive sodium uptake via a pathway involving intracellular production of cGMP.