Effects of weaning on phosphate transport maturation in the rat kidney. Clearance and brush border membrane studies.

Renal phosphate transport matures via an increase in the carrier affinity for phosphate during the 3rd post-natal week in the rat. This study examines whether weaning, which normally takes place during this period, plays a role in phosphate transport maturation. Early weaning (EW) and prevention of weaning (PW) both increased the fractional excretion of phosphate (EW 26.5 +/- 4.9, PW 26.7 +/- 2.2, controls 11.3 +/- 2.8, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, n = 6 in each group). EW and PW also decreased the uptake of phosphate into brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV) isolated from the renal cortex of 21-day-old rats. Glucose transport in BBMV was not affected. The kinetics of phosphate uptake, measured in the presence of a sodium gradient, showed lower Vmax (4,112 +/- 362 pmol/mg protein per 10 s) in EW BBMV than in controls (6,030 +/- 200, n = 5, P < 0.001), but the affinity of the carrier for phosphate (1/Km) did not change. The decrease in Vmax may be due to the enhanced phosphate supply. The affinity of the carrier was lower in PW rats (Km = 0.31 +/- 0.04 mM) than in controls (0.18 +/- 0.04, n = 5, P < 0.01) but the Vmax remained unchanged. The low affinity may indicate that normal maturation of tubular transport, in which carrier affinity increases, is altered. The plasma concentrations of corticosterone, parathyroid hormone, insulin and triiodothyronine and their changes during EW and PW are also reported.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)