Ion selectivity and proximal salt reabsorption

Electrophysiological techniques were used in isolated perfused superficial (S) and juxtamedullary (JM) rabbit proximal convoluted tubules (PCT) to examine the relative sodium-to-chloride (PNa/PCl) and bicarbonate-to-chloride (PHCO3/PCl) permeability ratios. We found that the great majority of PCT are sodium selective and that PHCO3/PCl depends on the experimental conditions. In the presence of active sodium transport, PHCO3/PCl is high and increases with PNa/PCl. When PHCO3/PCl is determined after inhibition of active sodium transport or at 25 degrees C, PHCO3/PCl approximates the free solution anion mobility ratio of 0.5 and is independent of PNa/PCl. The difference between PHCO3/PCl determined in the presence of and in the absence of active transport suggests that the lowering of bath bicarbonate concentration in the presence of active transport changes both paracellular and transcellular current flow. In addition, we found that during luminal perfusion with high chloride, low bicarbonate, organic solute-free solutions, the transepithelial electrical potential depends on PNa/PCl and PHCO3/PCl. This potential is approximately 4.0 mV in S PCT with low PNa/PCl and falls progressively to zero in JM PCT with high PNa/PCl. From these data we conclude that anion concentration gradients drive an important diffusive flux of sodium chloride through the paracellular pathway only in PCT with low PNa/PCl ratios.