Atrial natriuretic factor and cGMP inhibit amiloride-sensitive Na+ transport in the cultured renal epithelial cell line, LLC-PK1.

The renal cell culture model, LLC-PK1, which contains an amiloride-sensitive conductive Na+ transport pathway and a Na+/H+ exchanger, was utilized to examine the direct effects of atriopeptin II and cGMP on Na+ transport in epithelial cells. Exposure of cells to atriopeptin II (10(-7) M) increased cGMP production within 2 min of addition to cells in monolayer. Atriopeptin II (10(-7) M) or exogenous 8-bromo-cGMP (10(-3) M) maximally inhibited the uptake of 22Na+ through the conductive pathway which accounted for up to 60% of total 22Na+ uptake. The apparent Ki for this inhibition by atriopeptin II was 2 X 10(-11) M. Amiloride inhibited 22Na+ uptake to a similar extent as atriopeptin II, and the effects of the presence of both agents was not additive. In contrast, neither atriopeptin II nor cGMP blunted the increment in 22Na+ uptake induced by a pH gradient. Thus atriopeptin II can directly inhibit Na+ transport in renal epithelial cells, probably through its stimulation of cGMP.