[A cytophotometric analysis of the activity of oxidative enzymes and Na, K-ATPASE in vertebrate nephrons at different levels of sodium transport in the kidney].

Using quantitative cytochemistry, activities of Na, K-ATPase, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and alpha-keto-glutarate dehydrogenase (alpha-KDH) was investigated in cells of renal tubules at different levels of sodium reabsorption in the kidney. The activity of these enzymes in mammals and birds renal tubule cells was found to be higher than in the cells of corresponding renal tubules of cold-blooded vertebrates. This corresponds to the increased total amount of reabsorbed sodium in the kidney of warm-blooded animals. The summer frogs, as compared to the winter ones, exhibit higher activities of SDH and Na,K-ATPase in the proximal tubule cells where changes in sodium reabsorption are also noted. In the kidney of marine teleosts, a negative correlation between U/PNa and the activity of SDH and Na,K-ATPase in the cells of proximal and distal tubule was observed. Aldosterone was found to stimulate sodium reabsorption and to activate Na,K-ATPase.SDH and alpha-KDH mainly in the distal convoluted tubule. Furosemide was observed to inhibit sodium reabsorption and to reduce SDH and Na,K-ATPase activities in cells of the proximal tubule and Henle's loop. In the kidney of adrenalectomized rats, both sodium reabsorption and activities of Na,K-ATPase, SDH, alpha-KDH decreased in all the segments of the nephron. The data obtained suggest that changes in sodium reabsorption may be coupled with those in the activities of the investigated enzymes.