A microperfusion study of sucrose movement across the rat proximal tubule during renal vein constriction.

Constriction of the renal vein has been shown to inhibit net sodium and water reabsorption by the rat proximal tubule. The mechanism is unknown but might be the result of inhibition of the active sodium pump induced by changes in the interstitial fluid compartment of the kidney, or to enhanced passive backflux of sodium and water into the cell or directly into the tubular lumen. Since passive movement of solutes across epithelial membranes is determined in part by the permeability characteristics of the epithelium, an increase in the permeability of the proximal tubule during venous constriction would suggest that enhanced passive flux is involved in the inhibition of reabsorption. In the present experiments, isolated segments of rat proximal convoluted tubules were microperfused in vivo with saline while the animals were receiving (14)C-labeled sucrose intravenously. In normal control animals, no sucrose was detected in the majority of the collected tubular perfusates. In rats with renal vein constriction (RVC), however, sucrose consistently appeared in the tubular perfusates. The rate of inflow of sucrose correlated with the length of the perfused segment, estimated by fractional water reabsorption. In another group of animals with renal vein constriction, inulin-(14)C was given intravenously and the proximal tubules similarly microperfused. Inulin did not appear in the majority of collected perfusates in these animals. These observations indicate that a physiological alteration in the permeability of the proximal tubule occurs during RVC. Such an increase in permeability is consistent with the view that enhanced passive extracellular back-flux plays a role in the reduction of net sodium and water reabsorption in this experimental condition.