Inducible kidney-specific Sgk1 knockout mice show a salt-losing phenotype

N Faresse, D Lagnaz, A Debonneville… - American Journal …, 2012 - journals.physiology.org
N Faresse, D Lagnaz, A Debonneville, A Ismailji, M Maillard, G Fejes-Toth…
American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology, 2012journals.physiology.org
The expression of the serum-and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (Sgk1) is induced by
mineralocorticoids and, in turn, upregulates the renal epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). Total
inactivation of Sgk1 has been associated with transient urinary Na+ wasting with a low-Na+
diet, while the aldosterone-mediated ENaC channel activation was unchanged in the
collecting duct. Since Sgk1 is ubiquitously expressed, we aimed to study the role of renal
Sgk1 and generated an inducible kidney-specific knockout (KO) mouse. We took advantage …
The expression of the serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1 (Sgk1) is induced by mineralocorticoids and, in turn, upregulates the renal epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC). Total inactivation of Sgk1 has been associated with transient urinary Na+ wasting with a low-Na+ diet, while the aldosterone-mediated ENaC channel activation was unchanged in the collecting duct. Since Sgk1 is ubiquitously expressed, we aimed to study the role of renal Sgk1 and generated an inducible kidney-specific knockout (KO) mouse. We took advantage of the previously described TetOn/CreLoxP system, in which rtTA is under the control of the Pax8 promotor, allowing inducible inactivation of the floxed Sgk1 allele in the renal tubules (Sgk1fl/fl/Pax8/LC1 mice). We found that under a standard Na+ diet, renal water and Na+/K+ excretion had a tendency to be higher in doxycycline-treated Sgk1 KO mice compared with control mice. The impaired ability of Sgk1 KO mice to retain Na+ increased significantly with a low-salt diet despite higher plasma aldosterone levels. On a low-Na+ diet, the Sgk1 KO mice were also hyperkaliuric and lost body weight. This phenotype was accompanied by a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. At the protein level, we observed a reduction in phosphorylation of the ubiquitin protein-ligase Nedd4-2 and a decrease in the expression of the Na+-Cl-cotransporter (NCC) and to a lesser extent of ENaC.
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