Cellular mechanisms of drug-induced papillary necrosis

2-Bromoethylamine hydrobromide (BEA) causes complete pap-illary necrosis within 24-hr of iv. administration. The mechanism of this effect is unknown. To characterize further the effect of BEA in transporting epithelia, the unnary bladders of toads and turtles were exposed to varying concentrations of BEA in vitro. In the toad bladder, both cyclic AMP- and vasopressin-stimulated water flow were significantly inhibited after 3 hr of exposure to BEA at a concentration as low as 2.5 x 1 0 g/ml; after 1 and 2 hr no effect on water transport was observed. Serosal adminis-tration of BEA to both toad and turtle bladders significantly inhibited sodium transport to 54 % of control at the end of 3 hr. The effect on sodium transport was seen as early as 1 0 mm. The threshold for the effect on sodium transport occurred at a concentration less than that observed for water transport. B