Regulation of Na-K-2Cl cotransport in osteoblasts

N. Whisenant, B. X. Zhang, M. Khademazad, P. Loessberg and S. Muallem Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235. Uptake of 86Rb was used to follow the activity of Na-K-2Cl cotransport in the osteosarcoma cell line UMR-106-01. The ouabain-resistant fraction of 86Rb uptake was sensitive to bumetanide and furosemide. Furosemide-sensitive 86Rb uptake required the presence of Na+, K+, and Cl- in the incubation medium. These observations indicate the presence of a Na-K-2Cl cotransport system in osteoblasts. Cotransporter activity was stimulated by agonists which increase adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP), cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), and protein kinase C (PKC) activity such as parathyroid hormone (PTH) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). However, endothelin, which increases [Ca2+]i and PKC activity without affecting cellular levels of cAMP, was ineffective in stimulating the cotransporter. Accordingly, increasing cellular cAMP with forskolin was as effective as PTH and PGE2 in stimulating the cotransporter. Stimulation of PKC with TPA inhibited the cotransporter in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. No stimulation of cotransport could be demonstrated at any 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) concentration or incubation time. The Na-K-2Cl cotransporter was stimulated by cell shrinkage. Maximal stimulation was observed after swelling the cells in hypotonic medium and subsequent shrinkage in isotonic medium. Stimulation by cell shrinkage can be demonstrated in control, agonist-, cAMP-, and TPA-treated cells. These observations suggest that 1) the osteoblastic Na-K-2Cl cotransporter is activated by calciotropic hormones predominantly through an increase in cellular cAMP, and 2) in osteoblasts, the cotransporter is independently regulated by different biochemical pathways.