Absence of E-Cadherin and β-Catenin in the Basal Plasma Membrane of Collecting Duct Cells During NDI Development and Recovery

Lithium (Li) induces severe polyuria and polydipsia in up to 40% of patients undergoing Li treatment. In rats, Li treatment induces a reversible cellular remodeling of the collecting duct (CD), decreasing the fraction of principal-to-intercalated cells. To investigate the potential role of adherens junction proteins, we performed immunohistochemistry on kidney cross-sections from rats treated with Li as well as rats undergoing recovery on a normal diet following 4 weeks of Li-treatment. We performed immunoelectron microscopy on cryosections to determine the ultrastructural localizations. Immunohistochemistry showed that E-cadherin and β-catenin were present in both the lateral and basal plasma membrane domains of CD cells. Immunoelectron microscopy confirmed that β-catenin was localized both to the lateral and the basal plasma membrane. The basal localization of both proteins was absent from a fraction of mainly principal cells after 10 and 15 days of Li-treatment. After 4 weeks of Li-treatment few to no cells were absent of E-cadherin and β-catenin at the basal plasma membrane. After 12 and 19 days of recovery some cells exhibited an absence of basal localization of both proteins. Thus, the observed localizational changes of E-cadherin and β-catenin appear before the cellular remodeling during both development and recovery from Li-NDI.