Voltage-dependent calcium movement across the cortical collecting duct

Cortical collecting ducts were dissected from rabbit kidneys and perfused in vitro. Unidirectional transepithelial calcium fluxes from bath-to-lumen and lumen-to-bath were measured with 45Ca. Transepithelial voltage was varied over a wide range by pharmacologic manipulations. With lumen-negative voltages net calcium secretion from bath to lumen, which varied directly with the voltage, was observed. At voltages near 0 there was no measurable net flux. When the voltage was made positive, the direction of net calcium transport reversed (i.e., absorption from lumen to bath). Calcium permeability, calculated from the dependence of net flux on voltage, was 1.4 X 10(-7) cm/s, which is less than 2% of the calcium permeability previously determined in the cortical thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Analysis of the calcium flux ratios revealed apparent interdependence of the bidirectional fluxes consistent with exchange diffusion but no evidence for active calcium transport. We conclude that there is a small, but measurable, component of passive net calcium flux driven by the transepithelial voltage across the cortical collecting duct.