From a physical perspective biological cells consist of active soft matter that exist in a thermodynamic state far from equilibrium. Not only in muscles but also during cell proliferation, wound healing, embryonic development, and many other physiological tasks, generation of forces on the scale of whole cells is required. To date, cellular contractions have been ascribed to adhesion dependent processes such as myosin driven stress fiber formation and the development of focal adhesion complexes. In this thesis it is shown for the first time that contractions can occur independently of focal adhesions in single suspended cells. To measure mechanical properties of suspended cells the Optical Stretcher – a dualbeam laser trap – was used with phase contrast video microscopy which allowed to extract the deformation of the cell for every single frame. For fluorescence imaging confocal laser scanning microscopy was employed. The ratio of the fluorescence of a temperature sensitive and a temperature insensitive rhodamine dye was utilized to determine the temperatures inside the optical trap during and after Optical Stretching. The rise in temperature at a measuring power of 0.7W turned out to be enough to open a temperature sensitive ion channel transfected into an epithelial cell line. In this way a massive Ca2+ influx was triggered during the Optical Stretcher experiment. A new setup combining Optical Stretching and confocal laser scanning microscopy allowed fluorescence imaging of these Ca2+ signals while the cells were deformed by optically induced surface forces, showing that the Ca2+ influx could be manipulated with adequate drugs. This model system was then employed to investigate the influence of Ca2+ on the observed contractions, revealing that they are partially triggered by Ca2+. A phenomenological mathematical model based on the fundamental constitutive equation for linear viscoelastic materials extended by a term accounting for active contractions allowed to quantify the activity of the measured cells. The skewness and the median of the strain distributions were shown to depend on the activity of the cells. The introduced model reveals that even in measurements, that seemingly are describable by passive viscoelasticity, active contractililty might be superimposed. Ignoring this effect will lead to erroneous material properties and misinterpretation of the data. Taken together, the findings presented in this thesis demonstrate that active processes are an essential part of cellular mechanics and cells can contract even independently of adhesions. The results provide a method that allows to quantify active contractions of suspended cells. As the proposed model is not based on specific assumptions on force generating processes, it paves the way for a thorough investigation of different influences, such as cytoskeletal structures and intra-cellular signaling processes, to cellular contractions. The results present an important contribution for better mechanical classification of cells in future research with possible implications for medical diagnosis and therapy.

Endocytosis, a process of plasma membrane invaginations, is a fundamental cellular mechanism, ensuring uptake of nutrients, enhanced communication between cells, protective functions against invasive pathogens and remodelling of the plasma membrane composition. In turn, endocytic mechanisms are exploited by pathogens to enter their host cells. Endocytosis comprises multiple forms of which our molecular understanding has mostly advanced with respect to clathrin-mediated endocytosis and phagocytosis. Studies on the small GTPase Rab5 have provided important insights into the molecular mechanism of endocytosis and transport in the early stages of the endocytic pathways. Rab5 is a key regulator of clathrin-mediated endocytosis, but in addition, localises to several distinct endocytic carriers including phagosomes and pinocytic vesicles. On early endosomes, Rab5 coordinates within a spatially restricted domain enriched in phosphatidylinositol-3 phosphate PI(3)P a complex network of effectors, including PI3-Kinase (PI3-K), the FYVE-finger proteins EEA1 and Rabenosyn-5 that functionally cooperate in membrane transport. Moreover, Rab5 regulates endocytosis from the apical and basolateral plasma membrane in polarised epithelial cells. During my PhD thesis, I investigated the molecular mechanisms of endocytosis both in polarised and non-polarised cells. I obtained new insights into the molecular mechanisms of endocytosis and their coordination through the functional characterization of a novel Rab5 effector, termed Rabankyrin-5. I could demonstrated that Rabankyrin-5 is a novel PI(3)P-binding Rab5 effector that localises to early endosomes and stimulates their fusion activity in vitro. The latter activity depends on the oligomerisation of Rabankyrin-5 on the endosomal membrane via the N-terminal BTB/POZ domain. In addition to early endosomes, however, Rabankyrin-5 localises to large vacuolar structures that correspond to macropinosomes in epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Overexpression of Rabankyrin-5 increases the number of macropinosomes and stimulates fluid phase uptake whereas its downregulation through RNA interference inhibits these processes. In polarised epithelial cells, the function of Rabankyrin-5 is primarily restricted to the apical membrane. It localises to large pinocytic structures underneath the apical surface of kidney proximal tubule cells and its overexpression in polarised MDCK cells specifically stimulates apical but not basolateral, non-clathrin mediated pinocytosis. In demonstrating a regulatory role in endosome fusion and (macro)-pinocytosis, my studies suggest that Rab5 regulates and coordinates different endocytic mechanisms through its effector Rabankyrin-5. Furthermore, the active role in apical pinocytosis in epithelial cells suggests an important function of Rabankyrin-5 in the physiology of polarised cells. The results obtained in this thesis are central not only for our understanding of the basic principles underlying the regulation of multiple endocytic mechanisms. They are also relevant for the biomedical field, since actin-dependent (macro)-pinocytosis is an important mechanism for the physiology of cells and organisms and is upregulated under certain pathological conditions (e.g. cancer).

La Fibrose Kystique (FK) est une maladie dégénérative qui entraine une dégénération des poumons dû au problème de clairance mucociliaire (CMC). Le volume de surface liquide (SL) couvrant les cellules pulmonaires est essentiel à la clairance de mucus et au combat contre les infections. Les nucléotides extracellulaires jouent un rôle important dans la CMC des voies aériennes, en modifiant le volume de la SL pulmonaire. Cependant, les mécanismes du relâchement de l’ATP et de leurs déplacements à travers la SL, restent inconnus. Des études ultérieures démontrent que l’exocytose d’ATP mécano-sensible et Ca2+-dépendant, dans les cellules A549, est amplifié par les actions synergétiques autocrine/paracrine des cellules avoisinantes. Nous avions comme but de confirmer la présence de la boucle purinergique dans plusieurs modèles de cellules épithéliales et de développer un système nous permettant d’observer directement la SL. Nous avons démontrés que la boucle purinergique est fonctionnelle dans les modèles de cellules épithéliales examinés, mis appart les cellules Calu-3. L’utilisation de modulateur de la signalisation purinergique nous a permis d’observer que le relâchement d’ATP ainsi que l’augmentation du [Ca2+]i suivant un stress hypotonique, sont modulés par le biais de cette boucle purinergique et des récepteurs P2Y. De plus, nous avons développé un système de microscopie qui permet d’observer les changements de volume de SL en temps réel. Notre système permet de contrôler la température et l’humidité de l’environnement où se trouvent les cellules, reproduisant l’environnement pulmonaire humain. Nous avons démontré que notre système peut identifier même les petits changements de volume de SL. / Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients suffer from respiratory problems associated with pulmonary infections and exacerbations, due to improper mucociliary clearance (MCC). The airway surface liquid (ASL) covering pulmonary epithelial cells plays a pivotal role in MCC and infection control. Extracellular nucleotides control MCC in airway epithelia by modulating ASL volume, ciliary beating and mucin secretion. The mechanism(s) of their release and dispersal within the ASL remain incompletely understood. Studies with A549 cells, a human alveolar type II cell model, have shown that mechanosensitive, Ca2+-dependent ATP secretion is strongly amplified by the synergistic autocrine/paracrine actions of released nucleotides. The aim of this study was to examine whether the autocrine purinergic loop operates in different lung epithelial cell models and to develop an imaging system allowing the direct monitoring of ASL height during purinergic stimulation. We demonstrated that the signaling loop is functional in all epithelial cells tested, with the exception of Calu-3 epithelial cells. With different purinergic signaling modulators, we demonstrated that ATP release and [Ca2+]i elevations evoked by hypotonic stress were strongly amplified by autocrine/paracrine effects in cells expressing the P2Y receptor family. To monitor ASL volume changes in real time, we developed a novel epi-fluorescence, side-view microscopy system to observe ASL height. During experiments, cell cultures grown on permeable filters were mounted in a custom-designed chamber that allows control of the temperature, humidity and air flow above the cell monolayer, mimicking the pulmonary environment. This system detects even small changes in ASL volume following purinergic stimulation.

Eph kinases are the largest family of cell surface receptor tyrosine kinases. The ligands of Ephs, ephrins (EFNs), are also cell surface molecules. Ephs interact with EFNs and the receptors and ligands transmit signals in both directions, i.e., from Ephs to EFNs and from EFNs to Ephs. Ephs and EFNs are widely involved in various developmental, physiological pathophysiological processes. Our group and others have reported the roles of Ephs/EFNs in the immune system. To further investigate the function of EphBs/EFNBs in T cell development and responses, we generated EFNB1, EFNB2, EphB4 conditional gene knockout (KO) mice and EFNB1/2 double KO mice. In the projects using EFNB1 and EFNB2 knockout mice, we specifically deleted EFNB1 or EFNB2 in T cells. The mice had normal size and cellularity of the thymus and spleen as well as normal T cell subpopulations in these organs. The bone marrow progenitors from KO mice and WT mice repopulated the host lymphoid organs to similar extents. The activation and proliferation of KO T cells was comparable to that of control mice. Naïve KO CD4 cells differentiated into Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells similar to naïve control CD4 cells. In EFNB2 KO mice, we observed a significant relative increase of CD4CD8 double negative thymocytes in the thymus. Flowcytometry analysis revealed that there was a moderate increase in the DN3 subpopulation in the thymus. This suggests that EFNB2 is involved in thymocyte development. Our results indicate that the functions of EFNB1 and EFNB2 in the T cell compartment could be compensated by each other or by other members of the EFN family, and that such redundancy safeguards the pivotal roles of EFNB1 and EFNB2 in T cell development and function. In the project using EFNB1/B2 double knockout (dKO) model, we revealed a novel regulatory function of EFNb1 and EFNb2 in stabilizing IL-7Rα expression on the T cell surface. IL-7 plays important roles in thymocyte development, T cell homeostasis and survival. IL-7Rα undergoes internalization upon IL-7 binding. In the dKO mice, we observed reduced IL-7Rα expression in thymocytes and T cells. Moreover, the IL-7Rα internalization was accelerated in dKO CD4 cells upon IL-7 stimulation. In T cell lymphoma cell line, EL4, over-expression of either EFNB1 or EFNB2 retarded the internalization of IL-7Rα. We further demonstrated compromised IL-7 signaling and homeostatic proliferation of dKO T cells. Mechanism study using fluorescence resonance energy transfer and immunoprecipitation demonstrated that physical interaction of EFNB1 and EFNB2 with IL-7Rα was likely responsible for the retarded IL-7Rα internalization. In the last project, using medullary thymic epithelial cell (mTEC)-specific EphB4 knockout mice, we investigated T cell development and function after EphB4 deletion in mTEC. EphB4 KO mice demonstrated normal thymic weight and cellularity. T cell development and function were not influenced by the EphB4 deletion. Lastly, the KO mice developed normal delayed type hypersensitivity. Overall, our results suggest that comprehensive cross interaction between Eph and EFN family members could compensate function of a given deleted member in the T cell development, and only simultaneous deletion of multiple EFNBs will reveal their true function in the immune system. In fact, such redundancy signifies vital roles of Ephs and EFNs in the immune system. / Kinases Eph est la plus grande famille de tyrosines kinases récepteurs Éphrines (EFN) est un ligand de Ephs. Eph et EFN sont toutes les molécules de surface cellulaire. L’interaction entre Ephs et EFNs permet de transmettre des signaux dans les deux directions (c.-à-d. partir de Ephs à EFNs, et de EFNs à Ephs.) Eph et EFNs sont largement impliqués dans divers processus développementaux, physiologiques et physiopathologiques. Notre groupe et d'autres groupes ont rapporté les rôles de Ephs / EFNs dans le système immunitaire. Pour approfondir la fonction de EphBs / EFNBs dans le développement des lymphocytes T et des réponses immunitaires, nous avons généré des souris EFNB1, EFNB2, et EphB4 knock-out conditionnel (KO) et des souris EFNB1 / 2 doubles KO. Dans les projets qui utilisent EFNB1 et EFNB2 comme souris knock-out, nous avons spécifiquement supprimé EFNB1 ou EFNB2 dans les cellules T. Les souris présentaient une taille normale, la cellularité du thymus et de la rate, ainsi que des sous-populations de cellules T étaient normales dans ces organes. Les progéniteurs de la moelle osseuse de souris KO et les souris WT ont repeuplé les organes lymphoïdes de l’hôte à des degrés similaires. L'activation et la prolifération des cellules KO T étaient comparables à celles des souris témoins. Les cellules CD4 naïves KO différenciées en Th1, Th2, Th17 et Treg étaient similaires aux cellules CD4 naïves de souris contrôle. Chez les souris KO EFNB2, nous avons observé une augmentation relative importante des thymocytes CD4CD8 : les double négatifs dans le thymus. L'analyse par cytométrie en flux a révélé qu'il y avait une augmentation modérée de la sous-population DN3 dans le thymus. Les résultats suggèrent qu’EFNB2 est impliqué dans le développement des thymocytes. Nos résultats indiquent que les fonctions de EFNB1 et EFNB2 dans le compartiment des cellules T pourraient être compensées entre eux ou par d'autres EFNB. La redondance des fonctions suggèrent le contrôle critique d’EFNB1 et EFNB2 dans le développement des cellules T. Dans le projet, en utilisant EFNB1/B2 (modèle double KO) (dKO), nous avons observé une fonction de régulation de EFNB1 et EFNB2. dans la stabilisation de l’expression l'IL-7R α , à la surface des cellules T, IL-7 joue un rôle important dans le développement des thymocytes, l'homéostasie des lymphocytes T , et leur survie. IL-7R α subit une internalisation i contraignante de IL-7. Chez les souris DKO, nous avons observé une perte d’expression de l’ IL-7Rα dans les thymocytes et les cellules T. En outre, l’ internalisation IL-7Rα a été accélérée dans les cellules CD4 dKO, suite à la stimulation IL-7. Dans la lignée cellulaire de lymphome T, EL4, la surexpression de EFNB1 ou EFNB2 retarde l'internalisation de l'IL-7Rα. Nous avons aussi démontré les signalisations compromises de l’ IL-7 et de la prolifération homéostatique des cellules T dKO. Les études du méchanisme qui utilisent la fluorescence de transfert d'énergie par résonance et immunoprécipitation ont montré que l'interaction physique de EFNB1 et EFNB2 avec IL-7R était probablement responsable du retard de l’ internalisation IL-7Rα. Dans le dernier projet, nous avons étudié le développement des cellules T et la fonction des cellules épithéliales médullaires du thymus (mTEC), chez les souris knock-out EphB4. Les souris KO EphB4 ont démontré un poids et une cellularité qui sont normaux. La fonction et le développement de cellules T ne sont pas influencés par la suppression de l’ EphB4. Enfin, les souris KO ont développé une hypersensibilité de type retardée normale. Dans l'ensemble, nos résultats suggèrent que l'interaction globale de croisement entre Eph et les membres de la famille EFN pourrir compenser la fonction d'un membre supprimé. Seule la suppression simultanée de plusieurs EFNBs va révéler leur vraie fonction dans le système immunitaire. En fait, une telle redondance montre les rôles vitaux d’Ephs et EFNS dans le système immunitaire.

Thesis (Ph.D. in Pharmacology) -- University of Colorado Denver, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-147). Free to UCD Anschutz Medical Campus. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Thesis (Ph.D. in Pharmacology) -- University of Colorado Denver, 2007. / Typescript. Non-Latin script record Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-128). Free to UCD affiliates. Online version available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations;

Les virus influenza aviaires faiblement pathogènes (IAFP) ciblent principalement les épithéliums des voies respiratoires et intestinales chez les poulets (Gallus gallus) infectés. Cependant, les virus influenza aviaires hautement pathogènes (IAHP) mènent à une maladie systémique fatale avec une localisation particulière aux endothéliums. L’objectif de cette thèse a été d’explorer les relations entre la réplication des virus influenza aviaires (IA) et la réponse antivirale de l’hôte dans deux modèles cellulaires originaux obtenus chez le poulet : des cellules épithéliales pulmonaires (CLEC213) et des cellules endothéliales d’aortes (chAEC). Les résultats clés sont les suivants : (i) la réplication productive des virus IA dans les chAEC dépend du clivage de l’hémagglutinine et de l’échappement viral à la réponse immunitaire innée ; (ii) les CLEC213 sont très permissives aux virus IA et présentent une faible réponse antivirale médiée par la signalisation TLR3 et MDA5 ; (iii) les fonctions régulatrices de SOCS1 et SOCS3, sur le signal des interférons et des cytokines, sont conservées chez le poulet. Nous proposons que certains virus IA peuvent exploiter les fonctions pro-virales de SOCS1 et SOCS3 à leur avantage de manière spécifique au type cellulaire. / Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) viruses essentially target the epithelia of the respiratory and intestinal tract in the infected chicken host (Gallus gallus). However, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses induce a peracute fatal systemic disease and exhibit a striking endothelial cell tropism. The objective of the present thesis was to explore the interdependencies of AI virus replication and the antiviral host response in two novel avian cell culture models: chicken lung epithelial cells (CLEC213) and chicken aortic endothelial cells (chAEC). The salient findings from this study are that (i) productive AI virus replication in chAEC is dependent on hemagglutinin cleavability and appears to be related to innate immune escape; (ii) CLEC213 are highly permissive to AI virus infection, due to a cell type-specific diminished TLR3- and/or MDA5-mediated antiviral signaling response; (iii) the interferon and cytokine regulatory functions of SOCS1 and SOCS3 are conserved in the chicken. Based on our data, we propose a model that predicts that certain AI viruses may exploit the proviral functions of SOCS1 and SOCS3 in a cell type-specific manner.

Les canaux TRP (Transient Receptor Potential) sont des acteurs clés de l'homéostasie calcique. Plusieurs de ces canaux interviennent dans l'influx calcique des cellules épithéliales bronchiques, notamment TRPC6, qui est impliqué dans un couplage fonctionnel avec le canal Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR). Les mutations du CFTR (F508del et G551D) sont à l'origine de la mucoviscidose (Cystic Fibrosis (CF)), qui aboutit à l'augmentation de l'influx calcique dans les cellules CF. L'objectif de ce travail a été d'étudier l'implication des canaux TRP dans la dérégulation de l'influx calcique des cellules épithéliales bronchiques CF. Nous avons mis en évidence que CFTR régulait négativement l'activité de TRPC6, tandis que l'influx calcique via TRPC6 permettait de potentialiser l'activité du canal muté CFTR-G551D, activé au préalable par le VX-770. Nous proposons donc une nouvelle stratégie thérapeutique, combinant un potentiateur de CFTR et un activateur spécifique de TRPC6. Nous nous sommes ensuite intéressés au rôle des canaux TRPV, en particulier TRPV5 et TRPV6, dans l'influx calcique des cellules épithéliales bronchiques. Nous avons observé que l'influx Ca2+ constitutif, attribuable à ces deux canaux, était doublé dans les cellules CF, dû à une augmentation de l'activité de TRPV6. En effet, l'expression de la PLC-δ1, une enzyme régulant négativement TRPV6, est dramatiquement réduite dans les cellules CF. La correction de l'adressage du F508del-CFTR a permis de normaliser l'activité de TRPV6 sans restaurer l'expression de la PLC-δ1 dans les cellules CF, suggérant un contrôle plus complexe de TRPV6 dans les cellules épithéliales bronchiques. / TRP (Transient Receptor Potential) channels are keys actors of Ca2+ homeostasis. Several of these channels are involved in the Ca2+ influx of bronchial epithelial cells, including TRPC6 which is implicated in a functional coupling with the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) channel. CFTR mutation leads Cystic Fibrosis (CF) disease and causes abnormal Ca2+ homeostasis trought an increased of Ca2+ influx in CF bronchial epithelial cells. Our objective is to investigate the implication of TRP channels in abnormal Ca2+ influx of CF bronchial epithelial cells.We showed that CFTR down regulates TRPC6 activity whereas Ca2+ influx through TRPC6 potentiates G551D-CFTR, activated by VX-770. We propose a new therapeutic strategy that combines a CFTR potentiator and a specific activator of TRPC6. Then, we focused on the role of TRPV channels, particularly TRPV5 and TRPV6, in Ca2+ influx of bronchial epithelial cells. We observed that constitutive Ca2+ influx, related to TRPV5/TRPV6 activity, was twice higher in CF cells due to the increase of TRPV6 activity. The expression of PLC-δ1, an enzyme that negatively regulates TRPV6 activity, is dramatically decreased in CF cells. The correction of F508del-CFTR trafficking allows TRPV6 activity normalization but do not restore PLC-δ1 expression level in CF cells, suggesting a more complex control of TRPV6 in bronchial epithelial cells.

O crosstalk entre timócitos e células epiteliais tímicas é crucial para o desenvolvimento das células T e estabelecimento da tolerância central. Células tímicas epiteliais medulares (mTECs) contribuem para a autotolerância por meio da expressão ectópica de antígenos restritos aos tecidos (TRAs). A expressão de TRAs em mTECs é altamente dependente do gene Autoimmune Regulator (Aire). Por meio do reconhecimento de TRAs com alta afinidade, células T autoreativas são selecionadas negativamente do pool de timócitos em desenvolvimento. Apesar do papel de Aire na indução da tolerância central ser bem conhecido, os mecanismos celulares e moleculares precisos do processo permanecem obscuros. Nesse estudo, hipotetizamos que perturbações na expressão do gene Aire influenciam a adesão entre mTECs e timócitos, o que poderia resultar em um desequilíbrio na imunotolerância a antígenos próprios. Um ensaio funcional realizado com timócitos frescos, extraídos de um timo normal de camundongo e cocultivados com células epiteliais tímicas medulares da linhagem mTEC 3.10, demonstrou que a inibição do gene Aire por meio de RNA de interferência reduziu significativamente a capacidade das mTECs de promover a adesão dos timócitos. Análises por microarray revelaram que o silenciamento do gene Aire nas células mTEC 3.10 causou a modulação de mais de 1000 genes, alguns que codificam TRAs, outros que codificam proteínas envolvidas na adesão celular, como VCAM-1, e também outros que codificam moléculas coestimuladoras como CD80. Esses resultados contribuem para uma melhor compreensão do papel de Aire no controle da adesão mTEC-timócitos, a qual constitui um processo essencial para a seleção negativa de timócitos autoreativos / The crosstalk between thymocytes and thymic epithelial cells is critical for T cell development and the establishment of central tolerance. Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) contribute to self-tolerance through the ectopic expression of tissuerestricted antigens (TRAs) in the thymus. TRAs expression in mTECs is largely dependent on Autoimmune Regulator (Aire) gene. Through the recognition of TRAs with high affinity, developing autoreactive T cells are negatively select from the pool of developing thymocytes. Although the role of Aire in the induction of central tolerance is well known, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we hypothesize that disturbance in Aire gene expression influences adhesion between mTECs and thymocytes, which could result in an imbalance in immune-tolerance to self-antigens. A functional assay performed with fresh thymocytes dissociated from a normal mouse thymus and co-cultured with a medullary thymic epithelial cell line named mTEC 3.10, demonstrated that Aire RNAi knockdown significantly decreased the ability of mTECs to promote thymocyte adhesion. Microarray analysis revealed that Aire knockdown of the murine mTEC 3.10 cell line led to the modulation of more than 1000 genes, some of them coding for TRAs, others for proteins involved in cell adhesion like VCAM-1 and also for costimulatory molecules like CD80. These results contribute to a better understanding of the role of Aire in the control of mTEC-thymocyte adhesion, which is an essential process for negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes

Este estudo investigou o efeito da glicose sobre a atividade e expressão da isoforma 1 do trocador Na+/H+ (NHE1) e da H+-ATPase do tipo vacuolar, em células MDCK (Mardin Darby Canine Kidney), linhagem derivada de rim de cão, que apresenta características similares às células principais e intercalares das porções distais do néfron. Por microscopia de fluorescência, se avaliou a velocidade de recuperação do pHi (dpHi/dt) e a capacidade tamponante (<font face=\"symbol\">bi). A partir desses parâmetros, se calculou o efluxo de H+ (JH+). Por Western blot, se avaliou a expressão de NHE1 e da subunidade E da H+-ATPase do tipo vacuolar. Resultados: Na condição controle o efluxo de H+ foi de 6.27 ± 0.51 mM/min (n = 9). O tratamento agudo com glicose (25 mM) aumentou o efluxo de H+ via NHE1, o qual foi modulado pela PI3 cinase. Na mesma condição, não se observou alterações na atividade da H+-ATPase. O tratamento crônico com glicose (25 mM) induziu significante aumento do efluxo de H+, via NHE1 e H+-ATPase. O efeito estimulador da glicose sobre a atividade de NHE1 e H+-ATPase foi dependente da atividade da p38 MAP cinase. Além disso, o tratamento crônico com glicose (25 mM) induziu fosforilação do sistema ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) e Akt. Conclusões: Nossos resultados indicam que no tratamento agudo com glicose (25 mM), o NHE1 foi modulado pela PI3 cinase. Contudo, no tratamento crônico com glicose (25 mM), a atividade do NHE1 foi modulada pelo sistema ERM/Akt e a atividade da H+-ATPase foi modulada pela p38 MAP cinase. / This study investigated the effect of glucose on the activity and expression of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) and vacuolar H+-ATPase, in Mardin Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells from dog kidney, with similar characteristics to principal and intercalated cells of the distal nephron. The pHi recovery rate (dpHi/dt) and the buffering capacity (<font face=\"symbol\">bi) was evaluated through fluorescence microscopy. From these parameters the H+ efflux (JH+) was calculated. By Western blot, the NHE1 and H+-ATPase (E subunit) expression was evaluated. Results: In the control situation the H+ efflux was 6.27 ± 0.51 mM/pH units (n = 9). Acute treatment with glucose (25 mM) increased the H+ efflux via NHE1, which was modulated by PI3 kinase. In the same condition, the H+-ATPase activity did not change. Chronic treatment with glucose (25 mM) induced significant increase in H+ efflux via NHE1 and H+-ATPase. The stimulatory effect of glucose on the NHE1 and H+-ATPase activity was dependent on p38 MAP kinase activity. Furthermore, chronic treatment with glucose (25 mM) induced Ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) and Akt phosphorylation. Conclusions: Our results indicate that during the acute treatment with glucose (25 mM), the NHE1 is modulated by PI3 kinase. However, during chronic treatment with glucose (25 mM), NHE1 activity was modulated by the ERM/Akt system and of H+-ATPase activity was modulated by p38 MAP Kinase.