Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Vol 3, 1105-1112, Copyright © 1992 by American Society of Nephrology

REGULAR ARTICLES

Acute unilateral nephrectomy elicits a specific increase in plasma of peptides derived from the N-terminal region of proopiomelanocortin

C Qiu, JP Valentin, XW Chen, E Wiedemann and MH Humphreys
Division of Nephrology, San Francisco General Hospital, CA 94110.

Acute unilateral nephrectomy (AUN) causes natriuresis from the contralateral kidney through neurohumoral reflex pathways that involve an increase in the plasma of peptides derived from the N-terminal region of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)/beta-endorphin precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC). To determine the specificity of these humoral changes, the concentrations in plasma of ACTH and two peptides arising from the N-terminal fragment (NTF) of POMC, NTF32-49 and gamma-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (gamma-MSH), and of another natriuretic peptide, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), were measured by RIA with highly specific antisera to these epitopes. Group I experiments followed the course of sodium excretion (UNaV) for 120 min after AUN or sham nephrectomy. UNaV more than doubled within 60 min of AUN, and this natriuresis was maintained for the remainder of the experiment, whereas UNaV in sham rats did not change. There was no difference in plasma immunoreactive (ir) ACTH or ir-ANP concentrations between sham and AUN rats 120 min after the procedure, but plasma ir- NTF concentration was double in AUN rats compared with sham (P < 0.03). In Group II experiments, animals were killed 30, 60, 90, or 120 min after AUN and the urinary response related to peptide concentrations in plasma. UNaV rose rapidly after AUN, reaching a maximum value within 45 min that again was double the control value and remained stable for the duration of the experiment, up to 120 min after AUN. There was no significant change in ir-ACTH or ir-ANP at any point after AUN compared with values in sham AUN rats. However, plasma concentrations of both ir- NTF and ir-gamma-MSH were elevated 30 min after AUN and reached values at 120 min that were again double the values in sham rats (P < 0.05 for both).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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