J. F. Lamb

Na+, K+-ATPase isozyme diversity; comparative biochemistry and physiological implications of novel functional interactions.

Na+, K+-ATPase is ubiquitously expressed in the plasma membrane ofall animal cells where it serves as the principal regulator of intracellularion homeostasis. Na+, K+-ATPase is responsible for generating andmaintaining transmembrane ionic gradients that are of vital importance forcellular function and subservient activities such as volume regulation, pHmaintenance, and generation of action potentials and secondary activetransport. The diversity of Na+, K+-ATPase subunit isoforms andtheir complex spatial and temporal patterns of cellular expression suggestthat Na+, K+-ATPase isozymes perform specialized physiologicalfunctions. Recent studies have shown that the α subunit isoformspossess considerably different kinetic properties and modes of regulationand the β subunit isoforms modulate the activity, expression and plasmamembrane targeting of Na+, K+-ATPase isozymes. This review focuseson recent developments in Na+, K+-ATPase research, and in particular reportsof expression of isoforms in various tissues and experiments aimed atelucidating the intrinsic structural features of isoforms important forNa+, K+-ATPase function.

Occurrence of passive furosemide-sensitive transmembrane potassium transport in cultured cells

Furosemide (1 x 10(-4) M) inhibits a proportion of the total passive (ouabain-insensitive) K+ influx into primary chick heart cell cultures (85%), BC3H1 cells (75%), MDCK cells (40%) and HeLa cells (57%). This action of furosemide upon K+ influx is independent of (Na+ + K+)-pump inhibition since the furosemide-sensitive component of the K+ influx is identical in the presence and absence of ouabain (1 x 10(-3) M). For HeLa cells the passive, furosemide-sensitive component of K+ influx is markedly dependent upon the external K+, Na+ and Cl- content. Acetate, iodide and nitrate are ineffective as substitutes for Cl-, whereas Br- is partially effective. Partial Cl- replacement by NO3- gave an apparent affinity of 100 mM [Cl]. Na+ replacement by choline+ abolishes the furosemide-sensitive component, whereas Li+ replacement reduces this component by 48%. Partial Na+ replacement by choline+ gives an apparent affinity of 25 mM [Na+]. Variation in the external K+ content gives an affinity for the furosemide-sensitive component of approx. 1.0 mM. Furosemide inhibition of the passive K+ influx is of high affinity, half-maximal inhibition being observed at 5 x 10(-6) M furosemide. Piretanide (1 x 10(-4) M) and phloretin (1 x 10(-4) M) inhibit the same component of passive K+ influx as furosemide; ethacrynic acid and amiloride (both 1 x 10(-4) M) partially so. The stilbene, SITS (1 x 10(-6) M), was ineffective as an inhibitor for the furosemide-sensitive component.

Autoradiographic localisation of [3H]ouabain bound to cultured epithelial cell monolayers of MDCK cells

[3H]Ouabain binding to intact MDCK (cultured monolayers of dog kidney) cells of 60 serial passages is dependent upon ouabain concentration, time and medium K+. By utilising high K+ incubations to estimate non-specific [3H]ouabain-binding, the concentration of ouabain giving half maximal specific binding was estimated to be 1.0 . 10(-7) M and the total maximum binding to be 2.33 . 10(5) sites/cell. Ouabain inhibition of (Na+, K+)-pump function was monitored by the cellular uptake of 86Rb over 5 min. The larger fraction of 86Rb uptake was ouabain sensitive and the ouabain concentration giving half-maximal inhibition was 2 . 10(-7) M. The cellular distribution of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase was investigated using [3H]ouabain autoradiography of intact freeze-dried epithelial monolayers of MDCK cells grown upon millipore filter supports. Binding of [3H]ouabain is localised over the lateral cellular membranes. Autoradiographic silver grain density is close to background levels over both the apical and basal (attachment) membranes.

Down-regulation of the sodium pump following chronic exposure of HeLa cells and chick embryo heart cells to ouabain.

1 HeLa cells and primary cultures of embryonic chick heart cells were grown in medium containing low concentrations of ouabain for 24 h. 2 Compared with normal cells, cells grown in ouabain have fewer free sodium pump sites, an increased intracellular sodium concentration and a decreased intracellular potassium concentration. The cells are able to maintain their intracellular ion contents because the remaining pump sites have an increased turnover rate. 3 When cells that have been chronically exposed to ouabain are returned to normal growth medium, the sodium pump site numbers increase; the recovery process begins within 6 to 8 h and is complete within 24 h. Recovery of pump site numbers is primarily dependent upon de novo protein synthesis since the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, prevents recovery.

Discrepancy between the short and long term effects of ouabain on the sodium pumps of human cells grown in culture

1 Human cells (HeLa) were cultured for periods up to 48 h in growth medium in the absence or presence of a range of concentrations of cardiac glycosides. In some experiments the potassium concentration of the medium was varied between 0.3 mm and the usual 5 mm. 2 For periods up to 2 h in ouabain the association and dissociation rate constants were measured and the equilibrium binding constant (KD) calculated; the apparent equilibrium binding constant (K′D) was measured after 1–2 days growth in ouabain. 3 Ouabain had a K′D after 2 days of 2–6 nm in 5 mm K+growth medium, a 4 fold greater blocking effect on sodium pumps after 2 days than expected from the association and dissociation rate constants measured in untreated or previously ouabain‐treated cells. 4 This effect was: (a) approximately the same over a range of external potassium concentrations from 0.3 to 5 mm, although the absolute effect of ouabain over this range of potassium was much different; (b) probably not due to different isoforms of pumps in cells grown in ouabain compared to untreated cells; (c) apparently not a consequence of internalisation of pump‐glycoside complexes. 5 We conclude that ouabain has only a limited access to sodium pumps in whole cells; this could be because sodium pumps cycle continuously through an inaccessible region of the plasma membrane. This effect needs to be considered both in the assessment of the magnitude of the long term effects of cardiac glycosides on cells, and in the measurement of the glycoside affinities of various isoforms of the pump.

The effects of chloroquine and other weak bases on the accumulation and efflux of digoxin and ouabain in HeLa cells.

1 We have studied the effects of the weak bases chloroquine, NH4Cl and amantadine on the handling of certain cardiac glycosides by HeLa cells. 2 When these weak bases are applied acutely to HeLa cells they have only minor effects on the binding of cardiac glycosides to the sodium pumps and on the recovery of pump function following block. 3 When cells are grown in these weak bases there is a variable (10–30%) reduction in pump numbers. This effect is additive to that of chronic treatment with cardiac glycosides. 4 If all sodium pumps are blocked with ouabain, digoxin or digitoxin then recovery of function recovers with a T1/2 of about 7 h (10% h−1); digoxin and digitoxin molecules are excreted at a similar rate but ouabain excretion occurs at a much slower rate (3% h−1). 5 These weak bases greatly slow (× 3) the rate of excretion of digoxin and digitoxin but do not alter that of ouabain. The process affected by chloroquine was estimated to have a T1/2 of 8 h. 6 Cells grown in the presence of cardiac glycosides accumulate large numbers of glycoside molecules; chloroquine, NH4Cl and amantadine increase the accumulation of digoxin and digitoxin and may decrease that of ouabain. 7 Quantitatively these results fit a model whereby cardiac glycosides are accumulated by HeLa cells bound to the sodium pumps, are processed by the lysosomes and then excreted. 8 The results are consistent with a process of internalisation and renewal of sodium pumps by HeLa cells.

An altered response of virally transformed 3T3 cells to ouabain

The effect of ouabain on K+ transport was examined in 3T3 and virally transformed 3T3 cells. A 10 min exposure to ouabain (10(-3) M) produced approximately 40% inhibition of the unidirectional K+ influx in all cell lines. In 3T3 cells the response was not significantly altered by up to 70 min exposure to the drug. In contrast, the continued exposure of transformed cells to ouabain produced a time-dependent increase in the K+ influx. This increased influx was shown to be accompanied by an increase in the K+ efflux. The results suggest that, in transformed cells, ouabain produces both an inhibition of Na+-K+ exchange and a stimulation of K+-K+ exchange. The latter was shown to be more readily reversible than the former.