Vol. 287, Issue 3, 1056-1062, December 1998

Cellular Mechanisms of Renal Adaptation of Sodium Dependent Sulfate Cotransport to Altered Dietary Sulfate in Rats¹

Kazuko Sagawa, Debra C. DuBois, Richard R. Almon, Heini Murer and Marilyn E. Morris

Departments of Pharmaceutics (K.S., M.E.M.) and Biological Sciences (D.C.D., R.R.A.) State University of New York at Buffalo, Amherst, New York and Institute of Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (H.M.)

The renal transport and fractional reabsorption of inorganic sulfate is altered under conditions of sulfate deficiency or excess. The objective of this study was to examine the cellular mechanisms of adaptation of renal sodium/sulfate cotransport after varying dietary intakes of a sulfur containing amino acid, methionine. Female Lewis rats were divided into four groups and fed diets containing various concentrations of methionine (0, 0.3, 0.82 and 2.46%) for 8 days. Urinary excretion rates and renal clearance of sulfate were significantly decreased in the animals fed a 0% methionine diet or a 0.3% methionine diet, and significantly increased in the animals fed a 2.46% methionine diet when evaluated on days 4 and 7. Serum sulfate concentrations were unchanged by diet treatment in all animals. The fractional reabsorption of sulfate was significantly increased in the animals fed the 0% methionine diet and the 0.3% methionine diets, and decreased in the animals fed the 2.46% methionine diet. Increased mRNA and protein levels for the sodium/sulfate transporter (NaSi-1) were found in the kidney cortex following treatment with the 0 and 0.3% methionine diet groups. Sulfate homeostasis by renal reabsorption is maintained by an up-regulation of steady state levels of NaSi-1 mRNA and protein when the diet is low in methionine.