Studies of renal aquaporin-2 expression during renal escape from vasopressin-induced antidiuresis

In animal models of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIADH), sustained administration of vasopressin and water results in free-water retention and progressive hyponatremia for several days, which is then followed by escape from the vasopressin-induced antidiuresis. With the onset of vasopressin escape, water excretion increases despite sustained administration of vasopressin, allowing water balance to be re-established and the serum sodium to be stabilized at a steady, albeit decreased, level. Studies from our laboratories have investigated whether this escape phenomenon can be attributed to altered regulation of aquaporin water channels. After four-day pre-treatment with 1-deamino-[8-D-arginine]- vasopressin (dDAVP) by osmotic minipump, rats were divided into control (continued dDAVP) and water-loaded (continued dDAVP plus a daily oral water load) groups. A significant increase in urine volume in the water-loaded rats was observed by the second day of water loading, indicating escape from antidiuresis. The onset of escape coincided temporally with a marked decrease in renal aquaporin-2 protein (measured by semi-quantitative immunoblotting), which began at day 2 and fell to 17% of control levels by day 3. In contrast, there was no decrease in the renal expression of aquaporins 1, 3, or 4. The marked suppression of whole kidney aquaporin-2 protein was accompanied by a concomitant suppression of whole kidney aquaporin-2 mRNA levels. Immunocytochemical localization and differential centrifugation studies demonstrated that trafficking of aquaporin-2 to the plasma membrane remained intact during vasopressin escape. Additional studies have indicated that the observed down-regulation of aquaporin-2 expression also occurs in the renal cortex as well as the inner and outer medullas, and can be reversed simply by water restriction despite maintenance of hyponatremia. Our results therefore suggest that escape from vasopressin-induced antidiuresis is attributable, at least in part, to a vasopressin-independent and osmolality-independent decrease in aquaporin-2 water channel expression in the renal collecting duct. Similar mechanisms likely contribute to the phenomenon of escape from antidiuresis seen clinically in patients with SIADH as well.