Sodium Imbalance in Mice Results Primarily in Compensatory Gene Regulatory Responses in Kidney and Colon, but Not in Taste Tissue

Lossow, Kristina; Meyerhof, Wolfgang; Behrens, Maik

doi:10.3390/nu12040995

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Sodium Imbalance in Mice Results Primarily in Compensatory Gene Regulatory Responses in Kidney and Colon, but Not in Taste Tissue

Kristina Lossow

^1,2

Wolfgang Meyerhof

^1,3 and

Maik Behrens

^1,4,*

Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany

Department of Molecular Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 24, 07743 Jena, Germany

Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Kirrbergerstr., Bldg. 48, 66421 Homburg, Germany

⁴

Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2020, 12(4), 995; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040995

Received: 12 March 2020 / Revised: 27 March 2020 / Accepted: 30 March 2020 / Published: 3 April 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Salt Taste, Nutrition, and Health)

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Abstract

Renal excretion and sodium appetite provide the basis for sodium homeostasis. In both the kidney and tongue, the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is involved in sodium uptake and sensing. The diuretic drug amiloride is known to block ENaC, producing a mild natriuresis. However, amiloride is further reported to induce salt appetite in rodents after prolonged exposure as well as bitter taste impressions in humans. To examine how dietary sodium content and amiloride impact on sodium appetite, mice were subjected to dietary salt and amiloride intervention and subsequently analyzed for ENaC expression and taste reactivity. We observed substantial changes of ENaC expression in the colon and kidney confirming the role of these tissues for sodium homeostasis, whereas effects on lingual ENaC expression and taste preferences were negligible. In comparison, prolonged exposure to amiloride-containing drinking water affected β- and αENaC expression in fungiform and posterior taste papillae, respectively, next to changes in salt taste. However, amiloride did not only change salt taste sensation but also perception of sucrose, glutamate, and citric acid, which might be explained by the fact that amiloride itself activates bitter taste receptors in mice. Accordingly, exposure to amiloride generally affects taste impression and should be evaluated with care. View Full-Text

Keywords: epithelial sodium channel; sodium homeostasis; amiloride; salt deprivation; short-term preference test

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Lossow, K.; Meyerhof, W.; Behrens, M. Sodium Imbalance in Mice Results Primarily in Compensatory Gene Regulatory Responses in Kidney and Colon, but Not in Taste Tissue. Nutrients 2020, 12, 995. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040995

AMA Style

Lossow K, Meyerhof W, Behrens M. Sodium Imbalance in Mice Results Primarily in Compensatory Gene Regulatory Responses in Kidney and Colon, but Not in Taste Tissue. Nutrients. 2020; 12(4):995. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040995

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lossow, Kristina, Wolfgang Meyerhof, and Maik Behrens. 2020. "Sodium Imbalance in Mice Results Primarily in Compensatory Gene Regulatory Responses in Kidney and Colon, but Not in Taste Tissue" Nutrients 12, no. 4: 995. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040995

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Sodium Imbalance in Mice Results Primarily in Compensatory Gene Regulatory Responses in Kidney and Colon, but Not in Taste Tissue

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