Heavy metals inhibit pi - induced currents through human brush border na+/phosphate - cotransporter (napi-3) expressed in xenopus oocytes. Wagner, Carsten A., Siegfried Waldegger, Hartmut O[beta]wald, J[umlaut]urg Biber, Heini Murer, Andreas E. Busch, and Florian Lang. Institute of Physiology I 3 Institute of Physiology, Eberhard -Karls-Universit[umlaut]at T[umlaut]ubingen University of Z[umlaut]urich, Gmelinstr. 5 Winterthurerstr. 190, D-72076 T[umlaut]ubingen, Germany CH-8057 Z[umlaut]urich, Switzerland, Institute of Pharmacology, Eberhard-Karls-Universit[umlaut]at, Wilhelmstr. 56, D-72072 T[umlaut]ubingen, Germany
APStracts 3:0128F, 1996.
Heavy metal intoxication with Hg2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ commonly lead to phosphaturia. In this study, we examined the effects of these heavy metals on inorganic phosphate (Pi)-induced currents (Ip) through NaPi-3, the human renal cotransporter for Na+ and Pi. Hg2+ inhibited IP in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Hg2+ decreased the extrapolated maximal current but did not alter the apparent affinity for Pi. This inhibition was also observed with the membrane permeable oxidizing agent 2,2'-Dithio-bis(5-Nitropyridine) (DTNP), but not with the membrane impermeable 5,5'-Dithio-bis (2-Nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB). Hg2+- and DTNP-mediated inhibition of IP was reversible only in the presence of the reducing agent 2,3-Dihydroxybutane-1,4-dithiol (DTE). Cd2+ and Pb2+ also inhibited IP. However, while Cd2+ did not significantly alter the apparent affinity for Pi, the Km for Pi was increased by Pb2+. In contrast to Hg2+, the inhibition of IP by Cd2+ and Pb2+ was rapidly reversible upon washout. In the presence of the Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor ouabain Ip was not reduced and the effects of the heavy metals were maintained. In summary, the three heavy metals Hg2+, Cd2+ and Pb2+ inhibit Pi -induced currents through the Na+/Pi -cotransporter NaPi-3 by distinct mechanisms. Heavy metal mediated inhibition of NaPi-3 may be responsible for the phosphaturia observed after intoxication with these compounds.

Received 8 November 1995; accepted in final form 19 June 1996.
APS Manuscript Number F380-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Renal Fluid Electrolyte
Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 25 July 1996