Effect of Dietary Sodium on α, β, and γ Epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC) Gene Expression in Kidney Tubules of Wistar Rats

Abstract

Hypertension is a condition of persistently high blood pressure. It is currently a big health issue as its prevalence is high in Indonesia and its complications are numerous and deadly. Salt intake is one of the modifiable factors of hypertension. According to a study by Indonesian Ministry of Health, salt consumption in Indonesia is almost two times greater than the recommended salt diet from WHO. Sodium reabsorption in kidney plays a role in regulating blood pressure. Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is one of the structures that function in sodium reabsorption in kidney tubules. This study was conducted at the Central Laboratory and Animal Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran from June to Desember 2018. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of high sodium diet on the expression of ENaC gene in kidney tubules of rats. Twelve Rattus norvegicus wistar rats were divided into two groups of control and treatment. Treatment group was given daily 2 mL NaCl solution treatment using gavage for 8 weeks. The expression of ENaC α, β, and γ was obtained by running tissue samples from kidney cortex and medulla in polymerase chain reaction and electrophoresis. The result showed that there was an insignificant decrease in ENaC α, β, and γ gene expressions in both kidney cortex and medulla of the treatment group when compared to control groupThis study concludes that ENaC gene expression is not significantly affected by high sodium diet.

Keywords

• cortex, dietary sodium, α enac, β enac, γ enac, kidney, medulla