Differential regulation of Na+-K+-ATPase in the obese Zucker rat

Expression of Na+-K+-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) in tissues from obese and lean Zucker rats was monitored. The phosphatase activity of the sodium pump was increased in liver and intestinal mucosa from obese animals but was unaltered in skeletal muscle, brown adipose tissue, kidney, and heart. Induction of Na+-K+-ATPase activity was correlated with increased alpha(1)-subunit protein amounts in liver and intestinal mucosa, although alpha(1)-subunit mRNA levels were increased only in liver tissue. Neither protein nor mRNA amounts for both subunits were significantly altered in the other tissues analyzed. The only exception was a decrease in the amount of beta(1)-protein in kidney from obese rats. alpha(2)-Subunit protein and alpha(2)- and beta(2)-mRNA levels were not altered in brown adipose tissue, heart, and soleus. In summary, this study shows that in obese Zucker rats the expression of the sodium pump is enhanced in tissues that are directly involved in nutrient uptake and processing. This adaptation may be related to the ongoing hyperphagia and to tissue hypertrophia but develops in a different manner in each tissue, suggesting differential regulation of alpha(1)-subunit expression.