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.