H in cortical peritubular capillaries of rat kidney

The pH of peritubular capillaries was measured by means of antimony microelectrodes, during their perfusion with mammalian Ringer's solutions at different pH, in control and acetazolamide infused rats. In capillaries perfused with a solution more acid than blood, significant alkalinization was observed at increasing distances from the point of perfusion, while during perfusions with more alkaline solutions, acidification was observed. Plotting the pH change observed per micrometer of distance from the perfusion point against the pH of the perfusing solution, the pH in equilibrium with tubular cells was interpolated. A value of 7.51 +/- 0.01 was found for control rats, significantly higher than the mean arterial blood pH of this group, of 7.39. In acetazolamide infused rats an equilibrium pH of 7.44 +/- 0.02 was found, still higher than the blood pH of 7.34. The slope of these lines was significantly greater in control than in acetazolamide treated rats. This slope was shown to evaluate permeability to the ions responsible for acid-base balance. The present data suggest that peritubular alkalinization is reduced after carbonic anhydrase inhibition due to decreased peritubular permeability to the involved ions, which represents a further site of action of these inhibitors.