Urea plays an important role in the urinary concentrating capacity. Renal inner medullary (IM)
urea transporter expression was examined in rats with bilateral (BUO) or unilateral
ureteral obstruction (UUO). BUO (24 h) was associated with markedly increased plasma
urea (42.4 +/- 1.0 vs. 5.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/l) and a significant decrease in expression of UT-A1 (28 +/- 8% of
sham levels), UT-A3 (45 +/- 11%), and UT-B (70 +/- 8%). Immunocytochemistry confirmed downregulation of UT-A1 and UT-A3 in IM collecting duct and UT-B in the descending vasa recta. Three days after release of BUO, UT-A1, UT-A3, and UT-B remained significantly downregulated (UT-A1: 37 +/- 6%; UT-A3: 25 +/- 6%; and UT-B: 10 +/- 5% of
sham levels; P < 0.05) concurrent with a persistent
polyuria and a marked reduction in solute-free water reabsorption (115 +/- 11 vs. 196 +/- 8 microl.min(-1).kg(-1), P < 0.05). Moreover, 14 days after release of BUO, total UT-A1, UT-A3, and UT-B remained significantly decreased compared with
sham-operated controls and urine
urea remained reduced (588 +/- 43 vs. 1,150 +/- 94 mmol/l). Consistent with increased levels of plasma
urea 24 h after onset of UUO (7.4 +/- 0.3 vs. 4.8 +/- 0.3 mmol/l), the
protein abundance of UT-A1, UT-A3, and UT-B in IM was markedly reduced in the obstructed kidney, which was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. In the nonobstructed kidney, the expression of
urea transporters did not change. In conclusion, reduced expression of UT-A1, UT-A3, and UT-B levels in both BUO and UUO rats suggests that
urea transporters play important roles in the impaired urinary concentrating capacity in response to urinary tract obstruction.