PTH inhibition of bicarbonate transport by proximal convoluted tubules

These studies examined the effect of parathyroid hormone (PTH), dibutyryl cyclic AMP DBcAMP, and 8-bromo-cyclic AMP BrcAMP on HCO3- transport by rabbit superficial proximal convoluted tubules perfused in vitro. Bicarbonate was estimated as total CO2 measured microcalorimetrically. At slow perfusion rates with 25 mM HCO3- in the perfusate and bath, PTH (0.1 U/ml in the bath) caused the total CO2 in tubular fluid to rise from 10.2 to 19.9 mM. The hormone had no effect on the total CO2 concentration in tubules perfused with HCO3(-)-free perfusates. With HCO3(-) in the perfusate and bath, PTH reduced the rates of fluid and total CO2 absorption to 57 and 48% of control values, respectively. PTH had no effect on the rates of fluid absorption and total CO2 secretion when HCO3(-)-free perfusates were used. The effects of DBcAMP and BrcAMP (10(-7) M in the bath) were similar to those of PTH. 5'-AMP (10(-6) M in the bath) did not alter the total CO2 concentration of tubular fluid when the tubules were perfused at slow rates with HCO3- in the perfusate and bath. Ouabain (10(-5) M in the bath) caused the total CO2 concentration in tubules perfused at slow rates with HCO3--free perfusates to rise from 8.9 to 12.7 mM. PTH caused no further change in the total CO2 concentration in the presence of ouabain.