A B S T R A C T Studies were performiied in MlunichWistar rats to determine whether chaniges in papillary plasma flow might be responsible for the conicentrating defect which occurs after exposure of the extrarenal papilla. Papillary plasma flow was measured by 1251_ albumin accutnmulation. Initial studies in hydropenic animals revealed that papillary plasma flow was 40% higher in the kidney with the exposured papilla, 41 vs. 29 ml/min per 100 g of papilla (P < 0.001). This increase in papillary plasma flow was detectable 15 or 45 min after renmoving the ureter. Because it was unclear whether the rise in papillary plasnma flow was a cause or the result of the fall in urine osmolality, similar studies were performed in animals undergoing a water diuresis. In this setting, papillary plasma flow still increased on the exposed side compared to the control side, 81 vs. 60 ml/min per 100 g, despite similarly low uirine osmolalities of 155 and 174 mosmol/kg, respectively. This finding is compatible with the possibility that papillary exposure per se causes an increase in papillary plasma flow and that this hemodynamic alteration may lead to a reduction in urinary osmolality secondary to washout of the medullary interstitium. A final group of hydropenic rats was given either indomethacin or meclofenamate before removing the ureter. In these studies, there was no difference in either the papillary plasma flow or the urine osmolality between control and exposed kidneys. It is therefore suggested that opening the ureter induces an increase in papillary plasma flow by some mechanism which may involve an alteration in prostaglandiin synthesis.

A B S T R A C T The present studies were designed to further investigate the possibility of heterogeneity of nephron function during Ringer loading in the rat, and to determine the specific nephron segment responsible for this finding. As in previous studies from this laboratory with smaller rats (50-125 g), net addition of sodium between late distal tubule and papillary base (6.9 vs. 10.4% of the filtered load, respectively, P < 0.005) was found in more mature rats (170-230 g). In contrast, there was net reabsorption of sodium between these two segments in nonvolume-expanded animals, 1.70 vs. 0.45% of the filtered sodium load, P < 0.005. Because nephron heterogeneity of sodium transport during extracellular volume expansion is the most likely explanation for these findings, further studies were performed to determine the specific juxtamedullary nephron segment responsible for the net addition pattern between late distal tubule and papillary base in Ringer-loaded animals. First

Because of recent conflicting results, micropuncture studies were performed to clarify the respective role of the distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct in the regulation of urinary potassium excretion. Five groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were studied: group I, hydropenia (n = 10); group II, Ringer loading (n = 7); group III, acute KC1 loading (n = 6); group IV, mannitol diuresis (n = 6); group V, KC1 infusion during mannitol diuresis (n = 7). Early and late distal tubules were identified with intravenous injections of lissamine green. In each animal net secretion of potassium occurred along the distal convoluted tubule, and a direct relationship between distal tubular flow rate and potassium secretion was observed. The magnitude of potassium secretion at high distal tubular flow rates was dependent on the model studied. Potassium transport beyond the distal tubule was evaluated by comparing end distal potassium delivery and fractional potassium excretion. At low urinary flow rates net reabsorption was observed, whereas at higher flow rates no net transport occurred. Thus, flow rate along the collecting duct may be a major determinant of urinary potassium excretion.

No abstract

In the thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) rat, fasting increased urinary phosphorus excretion by decreasing the tubular reabsorption of P1 (TRP) and resulted in hypophosphatemia. The administration of either sucrose or NaHCO3 prevented the metabolic acidosis associated with fasting and decreased the phosphaturia, indicating that the phosphaturia in fasting is in part due to metabolic acidosis. In rats on partial reduction of P1 intake selectively, the phosphaturic response to parathyroid hormone (PTH) was completely suppressed. On the other hand, the fasting rat partially retained the phosphaturic response to PTH, although dietary P1 intake was totally absent. These findings suggest that the renal P1 wasting in fasting may take place by dual mechanisms: a) the PTH-independent decrease in TRP, and b) an inability to totally suppress the response to PTH. Cyclic AMP generation in response to PTH, determined both in vivo and in vitro, was not measurably altered in fasting. However, the phosphaturic response to cyclic AMP was decreased in fasting, suggesting that the mechanism of partial resistance to PTH is probably not at but after cyclic AMP generation.