Insulin stimulates NaCl transport in isolated perfused MTAL of Henle's loop of rabbit kidney.

To elucidate the mechanism of Na+ retention by insulin in vivo, the direct tubular effect of insulin on NaCl transport in the in vitro microperfused medullary thick ascending limb of Henle (MTAL) was examined. Insulin at 10(-6) mol/l in the bath increased transepithelial voltage (Vte) from 3.1 +/- 0.3 to 5.7 +/- 0.3 mV (n = 12, P < 0.0001). The effect of insulin on Vte was dependent on its concentration, and the half-maximal effect of insulin was observed at 5 x 10(-9) mol/l. Insulin at 10(-6) mol/l also caused a significant decrease of luminal Cl- concentration from 85.4 +/- 5.0 to 62.8 +/- 3.0 mmol/l (n = 5, P < 0.002) when the lumen was microperfused constantly at less than 1 nl/min. Insulin at 10(-6) mol/l also increased net lumen-to-bath Cl- flux (JCl) from 143 +/- 15 to 292 +/- 37 pmol.mm-1.min-1 (n = 5, P < 0.004). When the Na(+)-K(+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase) in the basolateral membrane was blocked by 10(-4) mol/l ouabain, the insulin-mediated increase in Vte was completely suppressed. When the Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl- cotransporter in the luminal membrane of the MTAL was blocked by 10(-4) mol/l furosemide, the insulin-mediated increase in Vte was also abolished. To test whether adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) contributes to the action of insulin, we examined the effect of cAMP analogue and cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor on the action of insulin. A maximal concentration (5 x 10(-4) mol/l) of dibutyryl-cAMP (DBcAMP) increased Vte and JCl.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)