Endocrinology, Vol 112, 777-781, Copyright © 1983 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Comparison of the effects of rubidium and potassium on renin secretion from rat kidney slices

MC Churchill, PC Churchill and FD McDonald

It has been shown previously that both low (less than 2 mM) and high (greater than 45 mM) concentrations of extracellular K inhibit the renin secretory rate of rat kidney slices, and that nonidentical Ca- dependent mechanisms appear to be involved. As Rb can substitute for K in many biological systems, the present experiments were designed to compare the effects of K and Rb on renin secretion of rat kidney slices. Adding either KCl or RbCl to a nominally K-free incubation medium stimulated renin secretory rate in concentration-dependent manners; secretory rate was half-maximally stimulated at approximately 1.5 mM and maximally stimulated at approximately 2-3 mM concentrations of either KCl or RbCl. Ouabain completely abolished the basal secretory rate, in either KCl- or RbCl-containing media. These results suggest that the effects of increasing KCl or RbCl in the range of 0.5-4 mM are attributable to stimulatory effects of Rb and K on Na-K-ATPase activity. Renin secretory rate was greatly inhibited by incubating kidney slices in media containing 60 mM concentrations of either KCl or RbCl. A concentration of methoxy-verapamil which completely blocked the inhibitory effects of 60 mM KCl or of 60 mM RbCl failed to antagonize the inhibitory effects of a nominally K-free medium or of media containing ouabain and either 4 mM KCl or 4 mM RbCl. Taken together with previous results, these observations suggest that Rb can substitute for K in the renin secretory process. Furthermore, they support the hypothesis that inhibitors of Na-K-ATPase, and depolarization inhibit renin secretion by Ca-dependent mechanisms which are not identical.

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