Stretch- and volume-activated channels in isolated proximal tubule cells

Apical and basolateral channels were studied in isolated proximal tubule cells of Necturus kidney. Many of these isolated cells maintained their polarity, with clearly delineated apical and basolateral regions. A 20-pS stretch-activated (SA) cation-selective channel was identified at the apical side of these cells. This channel was permeable to Ca, K, and Na but was not significantly gated by either membrane potential or cytosolic Ca. Negative pipette pressure (15 cmH2O) increased the open probability (Po) of this channel from 0.04 +/- 0.02 to 0.26 +/- 0.08 (n = 6). Two types of Ca-independent, mechanosensitive, K-selective (SAK) channels were identified at the basolateral surface of polarized proximal tubule cells, i.e., a 30-pS long-open time (50 +/- 7 ms) channel (n = 9), and a 46-pS short-open time (1.3 +/- 0.7 ms) channel (n = 10). Pipette suction (-12 cmH2O) increased the Po of the short-open time channels from 0.008 to 0.015 and increased the Po of the long-open time channel from 0.03 to 0.19. The effect of swelling was studied with isolated cells suspended at the tip of patch pipettes. A 50% dilution of the bath doubled cell volume, hyperpolarized the membrane potential by 11 +/- 0.7 mV, and increased the Po of the basolateral SAK channels. This was followed by a spontaneous regulatory volume decrease (RVD), repolarization of the membrane potential, and a decrease in Po. In contrast, isosmotic (bath side) replacement of an impermeant anion (methanesulfonate) with a permeant anion (Cl) doubled cell volume in 5 min but without a subsequent RVD. This sustained swelling hyperpolarized the cell potential by 5.5 +/- 0.7 mV (n = 16) and increased the Po of short-open time channel by a factor of 2.3 from 0.03 +/- 0.01 to 0.07 +/- 0.02 (n = 6). The increase in Po was primarily produced by a reduction in the interburst closed time, which decreased from 142 +/- 43 ms in K methanesulfonate to 36 +/- 11 ms in KCl solutions. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cell swelling activates Ca-independent K channels at the basolateral membrane of renal proximal tubule. Efflux of K through these channels may partially mediate renal cell volume regulation.