Electrophysiological heterogeneity of proximal convoluted tubules in Amphiuma kidney

The present study was designed to identify functional differences between dark (early to mid) and white (late) proximal tubule segments in Amphiuma kidney. The potential difference across the peritubular cell membrane (Vb), the luminal cell membrane (Va), and the epithelium (Vte) are not significantly different between dark and white segments. Cellular and luminal cable analysis reveals that the resistance of the cell membranes in parallel is lower in dark (28.6 +/- 3.2 k omega X cm) than in white segments (63.2 +/- 5.0 k omega X cm) in contrast to the transepithelial resistance, which is higher in dark (26.6 +/- 5.5 k omega X cm) than in white (3.5 +/- 0.7 k omega X cm) segments. A step-increase of peritubular potassium (from 2.5 +/- 12.5 mmol/liter) depolarizes Vb more in white (20.1 +/- 1.2 mV) than in dark (7.2 +/- 0.4 mV) segments, whereas addition of bicarbonate to peritubular perfusate hyperpolarizes Vb more in dark (-22.4 +/- 1.6 mV) than in white (-5.9 +/- 0.7 mV) segments. An increase of luminal potassium depolarizes Va more in dark (21.3 +/- 2.0 mV) than in white (9.3 +/- 1.9 mV) segments. Similarly luminal glucose depolarizes Va more in dark (10.7 +/- 1.2 mV) than in white segments (3.2 +/- 1.4 mV). Partial peritubular replacement of NaCl and reduction of peritubular chloride polarize Vte more in white (9.6 +/- 1.0 and 28.9 +/- 2.9 mV) than in dark segments (7.0 +/- 0.5 and 15.5 +/- 1.9 mV). In conclusion, compared with white segments, dark segments have lower cell membrane and higher shunt resistances, lower potassium and higher bicarbonate conductances of the peritubular cell membrane, and a higher capacity to reabsorb glucose. Paracellular shunt chloride conductance is relatively high in both segments.