Nonelectrolyte permeability of the paracellular pathway in Necturus proximal tubule

Micropuncture experiments were performed on Necturus proximal tubule using stationary microperfusion and microrecollection techniques. The transepithelial movement of the extracellular marker, sucrose, was used to investigate the passive permeability of the paracellular shunt pathway under steady-state conditions, during spontaneous reabsorption and water flow induced by an external osmotic gradient. Measurements were made of the sucrose permeability (P-s) efflux, net flux, and of net volume flow. True P-s determined in the absence of net volume flow and transepithelial gradient was 0.96 10-6 cm s-1. Both ouabain and isotonic volume expansion decreased shunt P-s. During reabsorption, solute-coupled water flow increased apparent P-s and net sucrose flux equalled efflux. Osmotic water flow from lumen to plasma decreased apparent P-s, with net sucrose flux equal to efflux; whereas osmotic flow from plasma to lumen increased apparent P-s but no net flux was observed. It is concluded that changes in P-s can be interpreted as relative alterations of the tight junction and the lateral spaces and that a portion of the volume flow from lumen to plasma proceeds via the tight junction.