This is a competing renewal application designed to continue our studies on NHE8 (Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 8; SLC9A8), the newest member of a family of transport proteins involved in many cellular functions regulated through electroneutral Na+/H+ exchange. NHE8 is expressed in many tissues including the apical membrane of the epithelial cells in the intestine and the kidney. During the last funding period, we cloned NHE8 from the intestine and characterized its regulation during development. Furthermore, we showed that NHE8 plays a major role in apical Na+/H+ exchange during early life, and it compensates for the loss of NHE2 and NHE3 in NHE2-/-xNHE3-/- mice. We have developed a novel animal model of NHE8 deficiency and plan, in this renewal, to characterize the role of NHE8 in the gastrointestinal tract and the male reproductive system. Our central hypothesis is that NHE8 is essential for optimal HCO3- transport as evidenced by the down- regulation of DRA (down-regulated in adenoma; SLC26A3) and PAT1 (putative anion transporter 1, SLC26A6) in NHE8-/- mice. Because HCO3- is the byproduct of mitochondrial respiration and is essential for accelerating CO2 waste disposal, down regulation of HCO3- transport results in loss of control of cellular and systemic acid- base balance. Dysfunctional HCO3- transport is the basis of and a consequence of a variety of maladies. Based on the preliminary data obtained from phenotypic analysis of NHE8-/- mice, we have planned three specific aims to investigate the role of NHE8, the consequence of its loss on gastrointestinal and reproductive system development. The three specific aims are: 1) Phenotypic characterization of NHE8-/- mouse during development; 2) Characterization of the role of NHE8 in the gastrointestinal tract and in response to epithelial injury; and 3) Characterization of the role of NHE8 in testicular function. The studies are novel and will yield new insight into the role of NHE8 to include regulation of ion fluxes in epithelial cells in general.

Public Health Relevance

This proposed research is relevant to public health because determining the physiological role of NHE8 and studying its mechanism of regulating bicarbonate transport will enhance our understanding of epithelial transport.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK073638-10
Application #
8913142
Study Section
Clinical, Integrative and Molecular Gastroenterology Study Section (CIMG)
Program Officer
Perrin, Peter J
Project Start
2005-12-01
Project End
2017-08-31
Budget Start
2015-09-01
Budget End
2017-08-31
Support Year
10
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Arizona
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
806345617
City
Tucson
State
AZ
Country
United States
Zip Code
85721
Xu, Hua; Li, Qingtian; Zhao, Yang et al. (2016) Intestinal NHE8 is highly expressed in goblet cells and its expression is subject to TNF-? regulation. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 310:G64-9
Li, Xiao; Cai, Lin; Xu, Hua et al. (2016) Somatostatin regulates NHE8 protein expression via the ERK1/2 MAPK pathway in DSS-induced colitis mice. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 311:G954-G963
Wang, Aiping; Li, Jing; Zhao, Yang et al. (2015) Loss of NHE8 expression impairs intestinal mucosal integrity. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 309:G855-64
Xu, Hua; McCoy, Anthony; Li, Jing et al. (2015) Sodium butyrate stimulates NHE8 expression via its role on activating NHE8 basal promoter activity. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 309:G500-5
Xu, Hua; Chen, Huacong; Li, Jing et al. (2015) Disruption of NHE8 expression impairs Leydig cell function in the testes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 308:C330-8
Xu, Hua; Zhao, Yang; Li, Jing et al. (2015) Loss of NHE8 expression impairs ocular surface function in mice. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 308:C79-87
Johansson, Malin E V; Gustafsson, Jenny K; Holmén-Larsson, Jessica et al. (2014) Bacteria penetrate the normally impenetrable inner colon mucus layer in both murine colitis models and patients with ulcerative colitis. Gut 63:281-91
Ghishan, Fayez K; Kiela, Pawel R (2014) Epithelial transport in inflammatory bowel diseases. Inflamm Bowel Dis 20:1099-109
Xu, Hua; Li, Jing; Chen, Huacong et al. (2013) NHE8 plays important roles in gastric mucosal protection. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 304:G257-61
Liu, Chang; Xu, Hua; Zhang, Bo et al. (2013) NHE8 plays an important role in mucosal protection via its effect on bacterial adhesion. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 305:C121-8

Showing the most recent 10 out of 17 publications