Paracrine regulation of the epithelial Na⁺ channel in the mammalian collecting duct by purinergic P2Y₂ receptor tone

Growing evidence implicates a key role for extracellular nucleotides in cellular regulation, including of ion channels and renal function, but the mechanisms for such actions are inadequately defined. We investigated purinergic regulation of the epithelial Na⁺ channel (ENaC) in mammalian collecting duct. We find that ATP decreases ENaC activity in both mouse and rat collecting duct principal cells. ATP and other nucleotides, including UTP, decrease ENaC activity via apical P2Y₂ receptors. ENaC in collecting ducts isolated from mice lacking this receptor have blunted responses to ATP. P2Y₂ couples to ENaC via PLC; direct activation of PLC mimics ATP action. Tonic regulation of ENaC in the collecting duct occurs via locally released ATP; scavenging endogenous ATP and inhibiting P2 receptors, in the absence of other stimuli, rapidly increases ENaC activity. Moreover, ENaC has greater resting activity in collecting ducts from P2Y₂^-/- mice. Loss of collecting duct P2Y₂ receptors in the knock-out mouse is the primary defect leading to increased ENaC activity based on the ability of direct PLC stimulation to decrease ENaC activity in collecting ducts from P2Y₂^-/- mice in a manner similar to ATP in collecting ducts from wild-type mice. These findings demonstrate that locally released ATP acts in an autocrine/paracrine manner to tonically regulate ENaC in mammalian collecting duct. Loss of this intrinsic regulation leads to ENaC hyperactivity and contributes to hypertension that occurs in P2Y₂ receptor ^-/- mice. P2Y₂ receptor activation by nucleotides thus provides physiologically important regulation of ENaC and electrolyte handling in mammalian kidney.