Cellular and paracellular resistances of the Necturus proximal tubule

Individual resistances of the apical cell membrane Ra, the basolateral cell membrane, Rbl, and the paracellular shunt, Rs, were determined in the Necturus proximal tubule using a set of three electrical parameters. Four electrical parameters were measured: the transepithelial resistance, (Rte), the apical and basolateral cell membrane resistance in parallel, (Rz free-flow tubules), the basolateral cell membrane resistance in oil-filled tubules, (Rz oil-filled), and the ratio of apical and basolateral cell membrane resistance (Ra/Rbl). Rte was determined from an analysis of the spatial decay of luminal voltage following luminal current injection. Rz free-flow and Rz oil-filled were measured by the analysis of the spatial decay of intracellular voltage deflections following cellular current injection in free flow and oil-filled tubules, respectively. Ra/Rbl was estimated from the ratio of voltage deflections across the apical and basolateral cell membranes following transepithelial current injection. In addition, the magnitude of cellular and luminal cable interactions was evaluated, by comparing the spatial decay of voltage deflections in the cell and in the lumen following intracellular current injection. The combined cell membrane resistance (Ra + Rbl) is between one to two orders of magnitude greater than the paracellular resistance. This result supports the view that the Necturus proximal tubule is a leaky epithelium.