CALL FOR PAPERS Connexins and the Kidney Connexins 37 and 40 transduce purinergic signals mediating renal autoregulation

Takenaka T, Inoue T, Kanno Y, Okada H, Hill CE, Suzuki H. Connexins 37 and 40 transduce purinergic signals mediating renal autoregulation. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 294: R1–R11, 2008. First published October 10, 2007; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00269.2007.—Our previous data indicated that various subtypes of connexin (Cx) were expressed in the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Experiments were performed to characterize the effects on renal autoregulation of specific mimetic peptides that inhibit these Cx subtypes in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Intrarenal infusion of GAP27 increased autoregulatory index of renal plasma flow (0.06 0.05 to 0.47 0.06, n 6, P 0.05) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR; 0.01 0.07 to 0.49 0.07, P 0.05). The additional administration of 8-cyclopentyl1,3-dipropylxanthine (CPX) produced a further elevation of autoregulatory index of RPF (0.86 0.07, P 0.05) and GFR (0.88 0.09, P 0.05), compared with GAP27 alone. However, the addition of pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2,4-disulfonic acid (PPADS) to GAP27 did not. Combined treatment with CPX and PPADS markedly worsened autoregulatory index of RPF (0.04 0.10 to 0.81 0.06, n 6 P 0.01) and GFR (0.05 0.08 to 0.79 0.05, P 0.01). GAP27 induced similar changes to GAP27. Renal autoregulation was preserved in the presence of GAP26. Our results indicate that the inhibition of gap junction impaired renal autoregulation. Furthermore, the present data provide evidence that both adenosine and purinergic receptors contribute to glomerular autoregulation. Finally, our findings suggest that gap junctions, at least in part, transduce purinergic signals mediating renal autoregulation.