Extracellular vesicles regulate purinergic signaling and epithelial sodium channel expression in renal collecting duct cells

Purinergic signaling regulates several renal physiological and pathophysiological processes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoparticles released by most cell types, which, in non‐renal tissues, modulate purinergic signaling. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EVs from renal proximal tubule (HK2) and collecting duct cells (HCD) on intra‐ and intersegment modulation of extracellular ATP levels, the underlying molecular mechanisms, and the impact on the expression of the alpha subunit of the epithelial sodium channel (αENaC). HK2 cells were exposed to HK2 EVs, while HCD cells were exposed to HK2 and HCD EVs. Extracellular ATP levels and αENaC expression were measured by chemiluminescence and qRT‐PCR, respectively. ATPases in EV populations were identified by mass spectrometry. The effect of aldosterone was assessed using EVs from aldosterone‐treated cells and urinary EVs (uEVs) from primary aldosteronism (PA) patients. HK2 EVs downregulated ectonucleoside‐triphosphate‐diphosphohydrolase‐1 (ENTPD1) expression, increased extracellular ATP and downregulated αENaC expression in HCD cells. ENTPD1 downregulation could be attributed to increased miR‐205‐3p and miR‐505 levels. Conversely, HCD EVs decreased extracellular ATP levels and upregulated αENaC expression in HCD cells, probably due to enrichment of 14‐3‐3 isoforms with ATPase activity. Pretreatment of donor cells with aldosterone or exposure to uEVs from PA patients enhanced the effects on extracellular ATP and αENaC expression. We demonstrated inter‐ and intrasegment modulation of renal purinergic signaling by EVs. Our findings postulate EVs as carriers of information along the renal tubules, whereby processes affecting EV release and/or cargo may impact on purinergically regulated processes.