Abstract

Transport of the glutathione S-conjugate, S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione (DCVG), was studied in renal basal-lateral membrane vesicles and isolated rat kidney cells. The time course of S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione uptake in membrane vesicles exhibited an overshoot in the presence of sodium, indicating transport against a concentration gradient. The initial rate of uptake with membrane potential clamped at 0 mV was stimulated 2.5-fold by an inwardly directed gradient of 100 mM sodium chloride. Hyperpolarization of the membrane potential to -60 mV in the presence of sodium stimulated uptake another 2.7-fold, indicating that cotransport of sodium and S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione is electrogenic. Sodium-dependent DCVG uptake was inhibited by glutathione, glutathione disulfide, and gamma-glutamylglutamate, but not by the corresponding cysteine S-conjugate, S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)cysteine, indicating that the transport system is specific for the gamma-glutamyl moiety. Probenecid was also a potent inhibitor of sodium-dependent uptake. S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione inhibited sodium-dependent uptake of glutathione in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, these results show that uptake of DCVG and glutathione is mediated by the same sodium-coupled system. Uptake of S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione was also demonstrated in isolated kidney cells; in the presence of sodium, cells accumulated approximately 4-fold more DCVG than in the absence of sodium. This basal-lateral membrane transport system can enable efficient delivery of circulating S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)glutathione to kidney cells and may, therefore, contribute to its potent and selective nephrotoxicity. In addition, it suggests that renal clearance of glutathione conjugates may include transport from the blood through epithelial cells into the lumen as well as direct filtration through the glomerulus.