Regulation of aldosterone receptor in rat kidney cytosol by atrial natriuretic factor.

We investigated the effect of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) on aldosterone receptors in the kidney cytosol, because the binding of aldosterone to aldosterone receptors in the cytosol is considered a critical step of its action. Rat atriopeptin III was injected into male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) via the femoral vein while under pentobarbital anesthesia, and aldosterone receptors in the kidney cytosol were determined. The maximum binding capacity and dissociation constant were calculated by the Scatchard analysis. Maximum binding capacity of both types of aldosterone receptor (Type I, high affinity and low binding capacity and Type II, low affinity and high binding capacity) gradually decreased after ANF injection, reached the lowest level after 2 hours, and then slightly recovered. When more than 2.5 micrograms/kg of rat atriopeptin III was injected, the density of aldosterone receptors significantly decreased. Injection of 12.5 micrograms/kg of rat atriopeptin III decreased maximum binding capacity of Type I receptor from 42.3 +/- 2.4 (mean +/- SD, n = 6) to 22.8 +/- 3.2 femtomole/mg protein (n = 6) (p less than 0.01), and that of Type II receptor decreased from 388 +/- 46 to 285 +/- 30 fmol/mg protein (p less than 0.01). Dissociation constant of both types of receptors did not change significantly after ANF injection. Plasma aldosterone concentration showed no significant change after ANF injection, and a significant change was noted after ANF administration on aldosterone receptors in the experiments on adrenalectomized rats 7 days after operation. Furosemide had no significant effect on aldosterone receptors in both normal and adrenalectomized rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)