Effect of an osmotic gradient on antidiuretic hormone-induced endocytosis and hydroosmosis in the toad urinary bladder

The luminal (apical) border of the epithelium of the bladder in the well-hydrated toad is relatively impermeable, so the bladder usually stores hyposmotic urine. When antidiuretic hormone (ADH) increases apical membrane osmotic permeability dramatically, water is resorbed from hyposmotic mucosal solution; in the presence of hyposmotic or isosmotic mucosal solutions, ADH concomitantly induces exocytosis at the apical border of granule-rich (G) cells. Then ADH induces endocytosis at this border. We describe how an osmotic gradient affects ADH-induced endocytosis and hydroosmosis in vitro. We can assess ADH-induced endocytosis in gradient and no-gradient bladders by applying a double-marker technique that distinguishes among endocytosis, completed internalization of previously surface-attached membrane, and surface invagination by comparing the number of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) uptake bodies (endocytosis) with the number of ruthenium red (RR)-delineated bodies (surface invaginations). With this approach we find that gradient bladders have approximately six times more ADH-induced endocytosis than no-gradient bladders during 45-60 min of ADH stimulation. Furthermore, at 60 min approximately 50% of the ADH-containing structures in no-gradient bladders remain surface connected compared with approximately 1% in gradient bladders. In parallel physiological studies, no-gradient bladders reach and maintain higher induced osmotic permeabilities than gradient bladders. These findings support the hypothesis that endocytosis plays an active role in reestablishing impermeable apical surface characteristics in toad bladder.