Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Valtin

Publications and source records attributed to H Valtin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Concentration of urine in the absence of ADH with minimal or no decrease in GFR.

It is known that large (more than 50%) reductions in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) can lead to formation of hyperosmotic urine in the absence to depend critically upon reduced delivery of luid to the loops of Henle. In the present study, we tried to determine whether a much lesser decrease in GFR could also result in hyperosmotic urine when ADH is absent. The following mean values (control vs. 3 h of partial aortic constriction) were obtained in 21 conscious diabetes insipidus rats: GRF, 909 +/- 35 (SE) vs. 835 +/- 49 microliter . min-1 . 100 g body wt-1 (8% decrease; P less than 0.02); urinary osmolality (Uosmol), 125 +/- 6 vs. 309 +/- 14 mosmol/kg H2O (P less than 0.001; peak Uosmol 350 +/- 22). Analysis of individual responses revealed that Uosmol increased as much when there was no measurable decrease in GFR as when such decrease occurred. Neither GFR nor filtration fraction bore any systematic relationship to Uosmol or to each other. We conclude that in the absence of ADH Uosmol can increase with minimal or no change in GFR. Changes in filtration fraction--a potential mediator of reduced delivery to the loops--could not explain the increased Uosmol, even in those instances in which GFR remained unchanged.

Animals↗

Vasopressin and collecting duct intramembranous particle clusters: a dose-response relationship.

Vasopressin increases the permeability of collecting ducts to water. Administration of this hormone is also associated with an increase in intramembranous particle clusters in rat collecting duct luminal membrane (CDLM) as revealed by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. To determine whether this morphologic alteration of CDLM is quantitatively related to the dose of vasopressin, anesthetized Brattleboro homozygous rats were given the hormone at different doses. CDLM from kidneys removed before and during infusion were examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The frequency of CDLM clusters as well as the area of membrane occupied by them was related to the dose of vasopressin. In a separate experimental protocol, a decrease in intramembranous particle clusters accompanied a decrease in urinary osmolality when vasopressin was stopped. We conclude that CDLM intramembranous particle clusters represent a specific structural change related to the action of vasopressin. Accordingly, quantitation of CDLM clusters may serve as an end point for the study of vasopressin-induced water permeability.

Animals↗

Cellular action of vasopressin in medullary tubules of mice with hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Our previous studies (1974. J. Clin. Invest.54: 753-762.) suggested that impaired metabolism of cyclic AMP (cAMP) may be involved in the renal unresponsiveness to vasopressin (VP) in mice with hereditary nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI). To localize such a defect to specific segments of the nephron, we studied the activities of VP-sensitive adenylate cyclase, cAMP phosphodiesterase (cAMP-PDIE), as well as accumulation of cAMP in medullary collecting tubules (MCT) and in medullary thick ascending limbs of Henle's loop (MAL) microdissected from control mice with normal concentrating ability and from mice with hereditary NDI. Adenylate cyclase activity stimulated by VP or by NaF was only slightly lower (-24%) in MCT from NDI mice, compared with controls. In MAL of NDI mice, basal, VP-sensitive, and NaF-sensitive adenylate cyclase was markedly (> -60%) lower compared with MAL of controls. The specific activity of cAMP-PDIE was markedly higher in MCT of NDI mice compared with controls, but was not different between MAL of control and NDI mice. Under present in vitro conditions, incubation of intact MCT from control mice with VP caused a striking increase in cAMP levels (>10), but VP failed to elicit a change in cAMP levels in MCT from NDI mice. When the cAMP-PDIE inhibitor 1-methyl-3-isobutyl xanthine (MIX) was added to the above incubation, VP caused a significant increase in cAMP levels in MCT from both NDI mice and control mice. Under all tested conditions, cAMP levels in MCT of NDI mice were lower than corresponding values in control MCT. Under the present experimental setting, VP and other stimulating factors (MIX, cholera toxin) did not change cAMP levels in MAL from either control mice or from NDI mice. The results of the present in vitro experiments suggest that the functional unresponsiveness of NDI mice to VP is perhaps mainly the result of the inability of collecting tubules to increase intracellular cAMP levels in response to VP. In turn, this inability to increase cAMP in response to VP is at least partly the result of abnormally high activity of cAMP-PDIE, a somewhat lower activity of VP-sensitive adenylate cyclase in MCT of NDI mice, and perhaps to a deficiency of some other as yet unidentified factors. The possible contribution of low VP-sensitive adenylate cyclase activity in MAL of NDI mice to the renal resistance to VP remains to be defined.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Human neurophysins as potential tumor markers for small cell carcinoma of the lung: application of specific radioimmunoassays.

A study of 61 patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung using specific RIAs for 2 human neurophysins (HNPs) has revealed that plasma levels of 1 or both HNPs are substantially elevated (> 3 times) in 62% of the patients before the commencement of therapy. These elevated HNPs may be a consequence of production/release by tumor. Eighteen patients with elevated plasma HNPs and 14 with normal values were followed during therapy. All of the patients with normal pre-therapy levels maintained these normal levels regardless of the course of their disease. For all patients with elevated HNP levels before therapy, there was good agreement between changes in these elevated values and clinically assessed responses. Partial or complete remission (12 patients) was associated with a 2- to 30-fold reduction in HNP levels, progressive disease (6 patients) was associated with a rise in HNP levels, and relapse after a previous objective response (6 patients) was associated with an increase in plasma HNPs over values found during remission. For many of the patients in clinical remission, HNPs remained elevated above normal values, and RIA data seem to forecast recurrent disease several weeks before clinical recognition. These data provide good evidence that our RIAs for HNPs can provide a valuable guide to therapeutic management of small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Carcinoma, Small Cell↗

Urinary concentrating ability during dehydration in the absence of vasopressin.

Despite the apparent absence of vasopressin (ADH), Brattleboro homozygotes [diabetes insipidus (DI) rats] can concentrate their urine when deprived of drinking water. Since other investigators have shown that reducing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) improves the concentrating ability of water-loaded dogs, the present studies were undertaken to quantify the magnitude and time course of changes in GFR during dehydration. Clearance experiments were performed in 10 conscious DI rats before and following 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 24 h of dehydration. Urine osmolality increased from 155.0 +/- 12.6 (SE) to 696.7 +/- 8.4 mosmol/kg H2O after 24 h. GFR averaged 984.3 +/- 79.6 microliters . min-1 . 100 g body wt-1 in the control phase, fell to about 80% of this value over the first 12 h of dehydration, and then declined to 27% at 24 h. The rats lost 20% of their body weight over the 24 h. The osmolality of the papillary tip averaged 896 +/- 44 mosmol/kg H2O at 24 h compared to a control value of 493 +/- 28. The lack of osmotic equilibration between urine and papillary interstitium suggests that dehydration did not appreciably increase the water permeability of the distal nephron. These experiments clearly show a progressive decline in GFR as urine becomes concentrated during dehydration in the absence of ADH; these events may or may not be causally related.

Animals↗

Renal excretion of prostaglandins E2 and F2alpha in diabetes insipidus rats.

On the assumption that the antagonism between prostaglandin E2 and vasopressin might represent a negative feedback system, we evaluated the hypothesis that vasopressin stimulates, in vivo, the renal production of prostaglandins. For these studies we used Brattleboro homozygous rats with diabetes insipidus and Long-Evans rats for controls, Brattleboro homozygotes show a substantial reduction in the renal excretion of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2alpha. Homozygotes excreted 39 +/- 5 ng/24 h prostaglandin E2 and 40 +/- 4 ng/24 h prostaglandin F2alpha, compared to 217 +/- 40 and 221 +/- 18 ng/24 h, respectively, in control rats (P less than 0.001). Therapy of homozygotes with vasopressin tannate in oil resulted in a prompt increase in the urinary excretion of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2alpha. 1-Desamino-D-arginine vasopressin, a nonpressor analogue of vasopressin, also enhanced the renal production of prostaglandin E2. We conclude that vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) stimulates renal production and excretion of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2alpha in vivo. It is possible that this increment of prostaglandin synthesis serves a negative feedback function by modulating the action of vasopressin on the renal tubule.

Animals↗

Antidiuretic hormone-induced intramembranous alterations in mammalian collecting ducts.

Freeze-fracture electron microscopy had previously revealed antidiuretic hormone-induced aggregates of intramembranous particles in amphibian urinary bladder. To investigate the effects of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in another ADH-sensitive epithelium, namely, mammalian renal collecting ducts, freeze-fracture studies were carried out in Brattleboro homozygous rats. Collecting duct luminal membranes of ADH-treated homozygotes showed intramembranous particle clusters (117 +/- 17/100 micron2) that were loosely packed and that occurred on both exoplasmic (E) and protoplasmic (P) faces. Untreated, control homozygous rats had significantly less (3 +/- 1/100 micron2) clusters. Changes similar to those seen in ADH-treated rats were observed in water-deprived Wistar rats. The clustered particles differed from those seen in ADH-treated amphibian urinary bladder in that the latter occurred only on the P face and were more densely packed. Nevertheless, our observations suggest a common membrane effect for ADH action that may apply in mammals and amphibia alike.

Animals↗

Characterization of an antiserum used in a radioimmunoassay for arginine-vasopressin: implications for reference standards.

The region of the arginine-vasopressin (AVP) molecule critical for binding to the effective antibodies in a RIA has been localized to the vicinity of the Phe3 position by using the cross-reaction in the assay between AVP and a number of its structural analogs. Binding seems to be almost independent of any direct contributions from components of the tripeptide tail of AVP. Using this RIA it was found that disequilibrium conditions of incubation produce a 5-fold increase in assay sensitivity over equilibrium conditions. Amino acid analysis revealed that three synthetic peptide preparations used as reference standards comprised only 70-80% of their weight as peptide and this finding points up the need to correct such reference standards for their peptide content. The ratio of rat vasopressor activity to RIA activity of these three preparations as well as of a natural AVP preparation, however, approximated unity. Results obtained comparing measurements of AVP in rat neural lobes by RIA and rat vasopressor assay show a correlation between RIA and bioassay of 0.9406, a slope of 1.086, and an intercept of 20 mU, suggesting good agreement for AVP determined by these two assay systems.

Animals↗

Structural and functional heterogeneity of mammalian nephrons.

Since the anatomical descriptions of Bowman showing differences between nephrons originating in the superficial and deep cortex, the concept of heterogeneity has been extended from identification of dissimilarities between nephrons to recognition of inhomogeneity within major portions of individual nephrons. We are now aware of functional correlates for the anatomical differences between nephrons, between analogous parts of different nephrons, and between the three portions of the proximal tubule and the three or more parts of the distal tubule. The implications of all of these differences for major renal processes, such as isosmotic fluid transport, salt balance, hypertension, urinary acidification, and the concentration or urine are now being defined. It seems likely that new conceptual and technical approaches, especially electron probe microanalysis, will add appreciably to defining the role of heterogeneity in these and other processes. Despite the increasing complexity of nephron heterogeneity, it is recommended that our basic nomenclature be retained and that new findings be incorporated into the schema set forth by Karl Peter. It would be very helpful if reports of investigations on single nephrons or segments of nephrons were to include diagrams delineating the structures on which the work was performed.

Animals↗