[en] The authors cultured smooth muscle cells from rat aorta and assayed Na/Ca antiport by measuring the initial rate of ⁴⁵Ca influx in Na-loaded cells. Na/H antiport was assayed by measuring the initial rate of ²²Na influx in acid-loaded cells. The external medium was the same for both assays except Na was 10 mM for Na/H antiport and O for the Na/Ca antiport assay. The dose of each congener that caused 50% inhibition (I₅₀) was calculated using a log-log median effect plot. The linear regression coefficients ranged from 0.916 to 0.998. Of all the compounds tested only dimethylbenzamil is more potent as an inhibitor of Na/Ca compared to Na/H antiport

[en] The effects of 5-(N-methyl-N-isobutyl)-amiloride (MIA), an amiloride analog, was tested on the Na⁺/H⁺ antiport activity of intact vacuoles and tonoplast vesicles isolated from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cell suspension cultures. MIA inhibited Na⁺/H⁺ exchange in a competitive manner with a K_i of 2.5 and 5.9 micromolar for ΔpH-dependent ²²Na⁺ influx in tonoplast vesicles and Na⁺-dependent H⁺ efflux in intact vacuoles, respectively. Scatchard analysis of the binding of [³H]MIA to tonoplast membranes revealed a high affinity binding component with a K_d of 1.3 micromolar. The close relationship between the dissociation constant value obtained and the constants of inhibition for MIA obtained by fluorescence quenching and isotope exchange suggests that the high affinity component represents a class of sites associated with the tonoplast Na⁺/H⁺ antiport. Photolabeling of the tonoplast with [³H]MIA revealed two sets of polypeptides with a different affinity to amiloride and its analog

[en] Both alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors have been localized to the renal cortex, with the majority of binding sites on the proximal tubule. Because the major regulator of Na+ uptake into the proximal tubule is the Na+/H+ exchanger, and because alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors stimulate it in other tissues, we tested the hypothesis that both alpha adrenoceptor subtypes can increase Na+ uptake into the proximal nephron by stimulating the Na+/H+ antiporter. Enhancement of Na+ transport by agonists was studied in isolated rat proximal tubules by determining the uptake of 22Na that was suppressible by the Na+/H+ inhibitor, 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA). The phorbol ester, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate, (0.1 microM), directly stimulated the antiporter through protein kinase C and increased EIPA-suppressible 22Na uptake 250% above control. The alpha-1 adrenoceptor agonists, cirazoline and phenylephrine, in addition to the mixed agonist, norepinephrine, maximally stimulated uptake by 226 to 232% at 1 microM concentrations. alpha-2 agonists produced a range of maximal stimulations at 1 microM from 65% with guanabenz to 251% with B-HT 933. Increases in 22Na uptake by agonists were inhibited by selective adrenergic antagonists and by EIPA. The drugs did not change the EIPA-resistant component of 22Na uptake. Inasmuch as the adrenoceptor subtypes likely stimulated Na+/H+ exchange by differing intracellular pathways impinging upon common transport steps, we examined whether simultaneous stimulation of both pathways was additive. Submaximal concentrations (5 nM each) of alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists in combination synergistically enhanced 22Na uptake to a level similar to 1 microM concentrations of adrenoceptor agonists alone or in combination

[en] We investigated in a physiological salt solution (PSS) containing HCO3- the intracellular pH (pHi) regulating mechanisms in smooth muscle cells cultured from human internal mammary arteries, using the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) and 22Na+ influx rates. The recovery of pHi from an equivalent intracellular acidosis was more rapid when the cells were incubated in CO2/HCO3(-)-buffered PSS than in HEPES-buffered PSS. Recovery of pHi was dependent on extracellular Na+ (Km, 13.1 mM); however, it was not attenuated by 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (SITS), indicating the absence of SITS-sensitive HCO3(-)-dependent mechanisms. Recovery instead appeared mostly dependent on processes sensitive to 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA), indicating the involvement of Na+/H+ exchange and a previously undescribed EIPA-sensitive Na(+)- and HCO3(-)-dependent mechanism. Differentiation between this HCO3(-)-dependent mechanism and Na+/H+ exchange was achieved after depletion of cellular ATP. Under these conditions, the NH4Cl-induced 22Na+ influx rate stimulated by intracellular acidosis was markedly attenuated in HEPES-buffered PSS but not in CO2/HCO3(-)-buffered PSS. EIPA also appeared to inhibit the two mechanisms differentially. In HEPES-buffered PSS containing 20 mM Na+, the EIPA inhibition curve for the intracellular acidosis-induced 22Na+ influx was monophasic (IC50, 39 nM), whereas in an identical CO2/HCO3(-)-buffered PSS, the inhibition curve exhibited biphasic characteristics (IC50, 37.3 nM and 312 microM). Taken together, the results indicate that Na+/H+ exchange and a previously undescribed EIPA-sensitive Na(+)- and HCO3(-)-dependent mechanism play an important role in regulating the pHi of human vascular smooth muscle

[en] Amiloride and certain of its derivatives are effective inhibitors of Na/H antiporters and of epithelial Na channels. We describe a simple method for the preparation of a variety of pharmacologically active 6-iodoamiloride derivatives that are labeled with ¹²⁵I at high specific radioactivity. 6-Dechloroamiloride derivatives (bearing a hydrogen atom instead of the chlorine at the 6 position of the amiloride molecule) are reacted with ¹²⁵ICl, prepared by the oxidation of the iodide in Na¹²⁵I preparations. The ¹²⁵I-labeled derivatives are separated from free ¹²⁵I by anion exchange chromatography, or purified by thin layer chromatography. Both 6-dechloroamiloride and 5-(N-alkyl)-6-dechloroamiloride derivatives can be labeled by this method, with yields varying between 10 and 70%, depending on the ICl concentration and the structure of the 5-N-alkyl group. Efficient radiolabeling at high specific radioactivity also depends on the use of freshly prepared batches of ¹²⁵I. Using carrier-free ¹²⁵I, [¹²⁵I]6-iodoamiloride and [¹²⁵I]6-iodo-5-(N-tert-butyl)amiloride were prepared with yields of 27 and 22%, respectively. Potential applications of the ¹²⁵I-labeled amiloride derivatives include ligand binding and affinity labeling experiments

[en] Tyramine induces coma in phenelzine-treated dogs. Development of coma in these animals is associated with brain edema, abnormal brain scans of Tc-99m-diethylene-triamine-penta-acetic acid (Tc-99m-DTPA), and elevated levels of CSF catecholamines. We found that the intravenous administration of 6-7 mg/kg of a single dose of L-644,711 given fifteen minutes after the oral administration of tyramine to phenelzine-pretreated animals followed by an infusion of normal saline containing 6-7 mg/kg of the drug given over a period of 2 hr caused reversal of brain injury. This was accompanied by full recovery within a period of 24 hr of all the animals tested. A follow-up study revealed that 24 hr after treatment with L-644,711 CSF levels of catecholamines and brain images of Tc-99m-DTPA were indistinguishable from normal controls. Animals that received no drug died from unresolved coma within 4 to 24 hr. Animals that had recovered due to therapy with L-644,711 were given 10-14 days rest followed by a repetition of the phenelzine and tyramine treatment but denied L-644,711 therapy. These animals also died of unresolved coma within 24 hr. This preliminary study suggest that the use of L-644,711 may constitute an important advance in treatment of brain edema of a wide range of neurological disorders

[en] The unglycosylated alpha 2B subtype of the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor found in NG-108-15 cells possesses allosteric regulation of adrenergic ligand binding by monovalent cations and 5-amino-substituted amiloride analogs. These findings demonstrate that allosteric modulation of adrenergic ligand binding is not a property unique to the alpha 2A subtype. The observation that amiloride analogs as well as monovalent cations can modulate adrenergic ligand binding to the nonglycosylated alpha 2B subtype indicates that charge shielding due to carbohydrate moieties does not play a role in this allosteric modulation but, rather, these regulatory effects result from interactions of cations and amiloride analogs with the protein moiety of the receptor. Furthermore, the observation that both alpha 2A and alpha 2B receptor subtypes are modulated by amiloride analogs suggests that structural domains that are conserved between the two are likely to be involved in this allosteric modulation

[en] The PS120 variant of Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts which lacks Na⁺/H⁺ exchange activity was used to investigate bicarbonate transport systems and their role in intracellular pH (pH/sub i/) regulation. When pH/sub i/ was decreased by acid load, bicarbonate caused pH/sub i/ increase and stimulated ³⁶Cl^- efflux from the cells, both in a Na⁺-dependent manner. These results together with previous findings that bicarbonate stimulates ²²Na⁺ uptake in PS120 cells demonstrate the presence of a Na⁺-linked Cl^-/HCO₃^- exchange system. In cells with normal initial pH/sub i/, bicarbonate caused Na⁺-independent pH/sub i/ increase in Cl^--free solutions and stimulated Na⁺-independent ³⁶Cl^- efflux, indicating that a Na⁺-independent Cl^-/HCO₃^- exchanger is also present in the cell. Na⁺-linked and Na⁺-independent Cl^-/HCO^3- exchange is apparently mediated by two distinct systems, since a [(tetrahydrofluorene-7-yl)oxy]acetic acid derivative selectively inhibits the Na⁺-independent exchanger. An additional distinctive features is a 10-fold lower affinity for chloride of the Na⁺-linked exchanger. The Na⁺-linked and Na⁺-independent Cl^-/HCO₃^- exchange systems are likely to protect the cell from acid and alkaline load, respectively

[en] The interaction of amiloride and amiloride derivatives with the Na+ channels of pig kidney membranes was studied from 22Na+ uptake experiments. The order of potency of the different molecules tested is: phenamil greater than benzamil greater than amiloride, ethylisopropylamiloride. [3H]labelled phenamil was prepared and used to titrate Na+ channels in pig kidney membranes. Kinetics experiments, equilibrium binding studies and competition experiments between [3H]phenamil and unlabelled phenamil indicate that phenamil recognizes a single family of binding sites with a Kd value of 20 nM and a maximum binding capacity of 11.5 pmol/mg of protein. The order of potency of different amiloride analogs tested in [3H]phenamil competition experiments is identical to that found for the inhibition of 22Na+ uptake by apical Na+ channels

[en] Chloride channels mediate absorption and secretion of fluid in epithelia, and the regulation of these channels is now known to be defective in cystic fibrosis. Indanyl-oxyacetic acid 94 (IAA-94) is a high-affinity ligand for the chloride channel, and an affinity resin based on that structure was developed. Solubilized proteins from kidney and trachea membranes were applied to the affinity matrix, and four proteins with apparent molecular masses of 97, 64, 40, and 27 kilodaltons were eluted from the column by excess IAA-94. A potential-dependent ³⁶Cl- uptake was observed after reconstituting these proteins into liposomes. Three types of chloride channels with single-channel conductances of 26, 100, and 400 picosiemens were observed after fusion of these liposomes with planar lipid bilayers. Similar types of chloride channels have been observed in epithelia