Abstract

The stimulation of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors in the mammalian nephron increases sodium reabsorption. In this study, alpha-1 adrenergic receptors in the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells were examined by radioligand binding technique. The IMCD cells were prepared from the rabbit kidney by incubating the inner medullary slices with collagenase and treating the isolated cells with hypotonic solution to lyse cells other than IMCD cells. The equilibrium binding of [3H]prazosin to IMCD cell homogenate was measured after incubation for 30 min at 25 degrees C in the absence (total binding) and the presence (nonspecific binding) of 100 microM phentolamine. The specific binding (the difference between total and nonspecific binding) of [3H]prazosin was saturable with a Bmax of 30 fmol/mg of protein and Kd of 0.9 nM. The displacement of [3H]prazosin binding to IMCD cells by adrenergic antagonists and agonists displayed the order of potency: beta-4-hydroxyphenyl-ethyl-amino-tetralone greater than phentolamine greater than naphazoline greater than epinephrine greater than yohimbine greater than norepinephrine greater than phenylephrine greater than propranolol. Because IMCD cells in the kidney have a hypertonic environment, the specific binding of [3H] prazosin to IMCD cells was also measured in a buffer that was made hypertonic (1200 mOsmol/kg of water) with NaCl and urea, the major solutes of the renal medulla. The hyperosmolality increased the Kd of [3H]prazosin to 5.2 mM without a change in its Bmax.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)