Insulin has been postulated to play a role in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension via an antinatriuretic action. To further explain the sodium insulin interaction in the kidney, we studied effects of different salt intakes on insulin receptor binding and mRNA levels in tissues from rats maintained on 0.07%, 0.3%, or 7.5% NaCl for 14 days. Scatchard analysis of competition data from in situ autoradiography studies resulted in curvilinear profiles, indicating the presence of either two classes of receptors or a single class of receptors with a negative cooperative hormone-receptor interaction. When data were analyzed using the two-site model, binding capacity of the high-affinity receptor site was significantly less in high-salt-fed rats. No significant differences between dietary groups were observed in apparent dissociation constants of the two receptor sites or in maximal binding capacity of the low-affinity, high-capacity site. Analysis of insulin binding to glomeruli, cortex, outer medulla, and inner medulla indicated that the high-salt diet was associated with decreased receptor density in all regions studied. Insulin receptor mRNA, as quantified by Northern and slot blot analysis, was inversely related to salt intake in absence of a change in plasma glucose, insulin, and corticosterone levels. Both 7.2- and 9.4-kb transcripts were similarly affected by dietary sodium content. Plasma renin concentration and renal renin mRNA levels were decreased but blood pressure was not affected by high-salt diet. Thus the inverse relationship between dietary sodium intake and renal insulin receptor density and mRNA levels suggests the existence of a feedback mechanism that could limit insulin-induced sodium retention when extracellular fluid volume is expanded.
