Effect of dDAVP on outer medullary gene expression in Brattleboro rats

Activation of the renal urine concentrating mechanism by vasopressin requires the coordinated regulation of multiple gene products including ion transporters, and water channels as well as regulatory proteins like protein kinases and phosphatases or enzymes involved in the energy-metabolism of the cells. We used microarray analysis of AVP-regulated gene products in a rat model of central diabetes insipidus (DI) to generate a comprehensive database documenting these changes. For microarray studies young (8 weeks) adult male Brattleboro rats were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 3 per group) and treated for 3 days with either 1-desamino-8-D-Arg vasopressin (dDAVP; 5ng/h; Sigma Aldrich, Germany) or vehicle via osmotic minipump (ALZET minipump model 2001, Charles River, Sulzfeld, Germany). At the end of the treatment period animals were sacrificed and the kidneys removed. The outer medulla was isolated and used for cDNA generation and subsequent microarray analysis using [Rat230_2] Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array.