Permselectivity for cations over anions in the upper portion of descending limbs of Henle's loop of long-loop nephron isolated from hamsters

Phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and pathological aspects of the urine-concentrating mechanism

The urine-concentrating mechanism is one of the most fundamental functions of avian and mammalian kidneys. This particular function of the kidneys developed as a system to accumulate NaCl in birds and as a system to accumulate NaCl and urea in mammals. Based on phylogenetic evidence, the mammalian urine-concentrating mechanism may have evolved as a modification of the renal medulla's NaCl accumulating system that is observed in birds. This qualitative conversion of the urine-concentrating mechanism in the mammalian inner medulla of the kidneys may occur during the neonatal period. Human kidneys have several suboptimal features caused by the neonatal conversion of the urine-concentrating mechanism. The urine-concentrating mechanism is composed of various functional molecules, including water channels, solute transporters, and vasopressin receptors. Abnormalities in water channels aquaporin (AQP)1 and AQP2, as well as in the vasopressin receptor V2R, are known to cause nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. An analysis of the pathological mechanism involved in nephrogenic diabetes insipidus suggests that molecular chaperones may improve the intracellular trafficking of AQP2 and V2R, and, in the near future, such chaperones may become a new clinical tool for treating nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Simulation of lithium transport along the thin segments of Henle's loop

Although the renal clearance of lithium is widely used as an index of sodium and water delivery to the end of the proximal tubule, micropuncture studies of superficial nephrons suggest that lithium may be reabsorbed additionally in the loop of Henle. In order to examine the possibility of lithium transport in the thin loop segments of deep nephrons, we conducted a computer simulation study using a modification of the mathematical model reported previously. The data for the model were obtained from measurements of osmolality and electrolyte concentrations in systemic plasma and renal papillary interstitial fluid of control and furosemide-treated rats. Papillary interstitium/plasma Li+ concentration ratios were 3.23 and 1.48 in the control and the furosemide group, respectively. Assuming that solute concentration in the renal medulla increases as an exponential function, and applying phenomenological coefficients obtained from hamsters, the transport profiles of Li+ along the thin loop segments were calculated to be very similar to those of Na+. In the control group, about 82% of delivered Li+ was reabsorbed along the entire thin loop segments, with all segments contributing equally. This value may represent the highest possible capacity of the thin loop segments. In the furosemide group, Li+ reabsorption in the thin loop was reduced to 31% of delivered Li+. From these analyses, we conclude that an appreciable amount of lithium may be reabsorbed in the thin loop segments of long-looped nephrons by passive mechanisms. Furosemide inhibits Li+ reabsorption by dissipating the osmotic concentration gradient in the renal medulla.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mechanism of water transport across the upper portion of the descending thin limb of long-looped nephron of hamsters

The mechanisms of water transport across the upper portion of the descending limb of long-looped nephron (LDLu) were examined by microperfusion of segments isolated from hamster kidneys. Because of cation permselectivity a streaming voltage was generated when a transmural osmotic gradient was imposed. When 100 mmol/l urea was added to the bath, the streaming voltage was -4.9 +/- 0.4 mV. Addition of 10(-4) mol/l parachloromercuribenzene sulfonate (PCMBS) decreased the voltage to -2.4 +/- 0.7 mV. This effect was associated with changes in osmotic water permeability (Pf, 10(-3) cm/s) from 243 +/- 42 to 47 +/- 15. PCMBS also decreased the transmural diffusional water permeability (Pdw, 10(-3) cm/s) from 9.4 +/- 0.6 to 7.2 +/- 0.6. The inhibitory effect of PCMBS was prevented by pretreatment with dithiothreitol. N-Butanol permeability was measured as an index of cellular resistance for diffusion. Large differences between Pf and Pdw can be explained both by cellular resistance to diffusion and by resistance through a water channel with a single file mechanism. The apparent activation energy for water transport, 13.3 x 10(3) joule/mol (3.16 kcal/mol), was low. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that a water channel exists in this segment. PCMBS also inhibited the NaCl diffusion voltage, a parameter indicating cation permselectivity, in parallel with suppression of the streaming voltage, suggesting that the water channel is in part associated with cation permselectivity. The possibility that the PCMB-sensitive cation-permselective pathway exists in parallel cannot be ruled out.

Evaluation of lithium clearance as a marker of proximal tubule sodium handling

Estimations of proximal tubule sodium reabsorption with the FELi method come closer to direct measurements than any other indirect method. There is little doubt that most lithium reabsorption takes place in the proximal tubules, very likely in proportion to the reabsorption of sodium and water. It is also likely that changes in proximal tubule sodium reabsorption due to changes in volume status are paralleled by changes in proximal tubule lithium reabsorption, at least in the superficial nephrons. Nonetheless, changes in FELi probably do not purely reflect changes in proximal reabsorption, since lithium is also handled beyond the proximal tubules. Acknowledged problems are lithium reabsorption in Henle's loop and in the late distal and collecting tubules. The latter occurs in the rat and the dog, but not or much less in men. Sodium restriction enhances this lithium transport considerably. It is as yet uncertain whether other conditions, such as increased vasopressin activity or lowering of renal perfusion pressure, also influence this transport. Amiloride appears to prevent this reabsorption of lithium. Therefore, this drug can be used in lithium clearance studies whenever unwanted "distal" lithium reabsorption is expected. Lithium reabsorption in Henle's loop forms a greater problem as it cannot be prevented by any drug without influencing proximal tubule reabsorption. It is estimated that about 7% of the filtered lithium (one-tenth of total lithium reabsorption) is normally taken up here, preferentially in deep nephrons. In view of studies with furosemide, this reabsorption probably varies with sodium intake, but the proportion of this variation to that of proximal tubule lithium reabsorption is obscure. This remains an uncertain factor in any circumstance where the lithium clearance method is used. In some conditions the change in FELi may be so large relative to the expected changes in proximal reabsorption, that use of FELi as marker of end-proximal solute delivery seems unjustified. Disproportionately large suppression is likely during mineralo-corticoid-induced volume expansion, and stimulation during prostaglandin synthesis inhibition and vasopressin. Based on observations in these conditions the potential range of lithium reabsorption in the loop of Henle would be 0 to 15% of filtered load. In this review attention was paid mainly to the validity of lithium clearance as a pure "proximal marker". Many of our interpretations suffer from incomplete certainty with respect to the renal effects of tested maneuvers, a problem which is acknowledged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Lithium clearance during variations in sodium intake in man: effects of sodium restriction and amiloride

Assuming that lithium is exclusively reabsorbed in the proximal tubules in proportion to sodium and water, the lithium clearance (CLi) has been advanced as an index of filtrate delivery from the proximal tubules. However, studies in the rat and dog showed that CLi drops sharply at fractional sodium excretion rates (FENa) below 0.4% due to lithium reabsorption in the amiloride-sensitive segment of the distal nephron, which disqualified CLi as an index of distal filtrate delivery during sodium restriction in these animals. In order to investigate whether this phenomenon also occurs in man, we studied CLi in 103 normal subjects at varying sodium intakes, including marked sodium restriction. In contrast to findings in the rat and dog, no sharp drop but a gradual fall in CLi was observed at decreasing FENa values down to 0.02%. Maximum urine flow, another index of filtrate delivery from the proximal tubules, decreased proportionally, suggesting that the fall in CLi was due to enhanced proximal and not distal lithium reabsorption. Amiloride (15 mg p.o.) did not affect CLi despite unequivocal effects in the distal nephron in eight normal subjects at a mean FENa of 0.1%. In conclusion, a low FENa due to severe sodium restriction in man is not accompanied by strongly enhanced distal lithium reabsorption sensitive to amiloride. Thus, in contrast to the rat and dog, a low FENa forms no objection to use CLi as an index of sodium and filtrate delivery from the proximal tubules in humans.

Effect of glutaraldehyde on renal tubular function. II. Selective inhibition of Cl- transport in the hamster thin ascending limb of Henle's loop

In order to further characterize Cl- transport of the thin ascending limb of Henle's loop (TAL), we observed the effects of glutaraldehyde on Na+ and Cl- transport in hamster TAL perfused in vitro. We found that 0.1 mol/l glutaraldehyde added either to the lumen or to the bath caused a rapid irreversible reversal of the NaCl diffusion potential. This was mainly accounted for by an inhibition of Cl- permeability (10(-7) cm2 s-1) from 93.51 +/- 8.39 to 14.89 +/- 3.91 (P less than 0.01, n = 9). By contrast, Na+ permeability changed little from 34.18 +/- 3.27 to 26.56 +/- 2.74 (P less than 0.01, n = 6). Glutaraldehyde treatment abolished the halogen-permselectivity of the TAL as determined by the voltage deflection seen upon ionic substitution. Permeabilities for Cl-, Br-, I-, and SCN- relative to Na+ were changed from 3.16 +/- 0.20, 3.22 +/- 0.19, 2.97 +/- 0.26 and 4.36 +/- 0.36 to 0.38 +/- 0.07, 0.35 +/- 0.06, 0.36 +/- 0.07 and 0.58 +/- 0.05, respectively. The effect of glutaraldehyde on the NaCl diffusion potential was dose-dependent in the range from 10(-5) to 10(-1) M. The effect was reversible at concentrations lower than 10(-3) M. Glutaraldehyde did not affect the NaCl diffusion potential of the long-loop descending limb. These observations constitute additional evidence that the mechanism of Cl- transport across the TAL is different from that of Na+ transport. Glutaraldehyde might inhibit Cl- transport in the TAL by cross-linking amino acid residues of the proteins essential for halogen transport across this segment.