Intracellular distribution of carbonic anhydrase in the rat kidney

The rat kidney was studied by light and electron microscope after it was histochemically stained for carbonic anhydrase activity. Glomeruli and Bowman's capsule were inactive. Convoluted proximal tubules showed intense activity at the brush border and the basolateral membranes. Cytoplasmic activity also was found. Straight proximal tubules had considerable enzyme activity at basolateral membranes but only low activity at the brush border and in the cytoplasm. In nephrons with long loops, the descending thin limb contained cytoplasmic enzyme activity, whereas the ascending thin limb was inactive. Thin limbs of short loops showed a varying enzyme pattern. In the thick limb of Henle's loop, most enzyme activity was found at the luminal cell border. Distal convoluted tubules showed enzyme activity only at basal infolded membranes. In the late distal tubule, intercalated cells appear among the "ordinary" distal cells, and they contained abundant cytoplasmic enzyme. Many highly active intercalated cells were found also in the cortical and outer medullary segments of the collecting duct. The chief cells in these segments also showed some cytoplasmic enzyme activity. In the inner medullary segment of the collecting duct, enzyme activity disappeared gradually, and the tip of the papilla lacked activity. Acetazolamide (10 microM) completely abolished visible staining, whereas Cl 13850 (10 microM), an inactive acetazolamide analogue, did not interfere with the staining.