Regional heterogeneity of expression of renal NPRs, TonEBP, and AQP-2 mRNAs in rats with acute kidney injury

To understand the pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) - induced acute kidney injury (AKI), the present study defined changes in renal function, plasma renotropic hormones and its receptors in the kidney 2, 5, or 7 days after 45 min-renal ischemia in rats. Blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine, and osmolarity increased 2 days after I/R injury and tended to return to control level 7 days after I/R injury. Decreased renal function tended to return to control level 5 days after I/R injury. However, plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide and renin did not change. In control kidney, natriuretic peptide receptor (NPR)-A, -B and -C mRNAs were highly expressed in medulla (ME), inner cortex (IC), and outer cortex (OC), respectively, and tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP), auqaporin-2 (AQP-2) and eNOS mRNAs were highly expressed in ME. NPR-A and -B mRNA expressions were markedly decreased 2 days after I/R injury. On 5 days after I/R injury, NPR-A mRNA expression increased in OC and recovered to control level in IC but not in ME. NPR-B mRNA expression was increased in OC, and recovered to control level in IC and ME. NPR-C mRNA expression was markedly decreased in OC 2 and 5 days after I/R injury. TonEBP, APQ-2 and eNOS mRNA expressions were markedly decreased 2 days after I/R injury and did not recover in ME 7 days after I/R injury. Therefore, we suggest that there is a regional heterogeneity of regulation of renal NPRs, TonEBP, and APQ-2 mRNA in AKI.