Adaptation of phosphate transport to low phosphate diet in renal and intestinal brush border membrane vesicles: influence of sodium and pH.

The possible role of changes in the sodium (Na) affinity of the carrier for inorganic phosphate (Pi) in the adaptation of Pi transport to low Pi diet was examined in both renal and intestinal brush border membranes vesicles (BBMV) obtained from the same animal. This role was assessed by measuring the Na concentration resulting in half maximal activation of Pi transport (K0.5 Na) in renal and intestinal BBMV prepared from animals adapted to either low (LPD) or high (HPD) phosphorus diet for 7 days. The K0.5 Na was not modified by dietary Pi, in both renal and intestinal BBMV. LPD increased maximal Pi transport from 1794.8 +/- 198.0 to 2964.0 +/- 362.0 in renal and from 28.2 +/- 3.4 to 80.5 +/- 7.2 pmol/mg 10 s in intestinal BBMV. For both LPD and HPD lowering pH from 7.4 to 6 dramatically increased K0.5 Na in renal and intestinal BBMV. As compared to pH 7.4, it was enhanced by approximately 200% in both renal and intestinal membranes. This change of Na affinity with acidic pH prevented the expression of Pi transport adaptation at 100 mM Na concentration. However, at saturating Na concentrations (500 mM for renal, 300 mM for intestinal membranes), Pi transport adaptation was equally expressed at pH 6 and 7.4 in both types of membranes. Hill coefficient analysis indicates a 2:1 stoichiometry of Na to Pi in renal and intestinal membranes isolated from high or low Pi diet animals. This ratio was not modified by changes of the medium pH.