Determinants of proximal tubular reabsorption as mechanisms of glomerulotubular balance.

The determinants of absolute proximal reabsorption (APR) were studied in four groups of rats during hydropenia, partial renal vein occlusion (RVO), saline expansion, and RVO after saline expansion. Nephron filtration rate (SNGFR), nephron plasma flow (RPF), APR, and proximal tubule (Pt) peritubular capillary (HPc), and interstitial (HPi) hydrostatic pressures were measured by micropuncture techniques. Subcapsular space (pii) and star peritubular capillary (piE) oncotic pressures were also determined. The peritubular capillary permeability coefficiency (LpAR) and the corresponding effective reabsorptive pressure (ERP) were computed, where APR = LpAR . ERP, and ERP = net reabsorptive pressure across the peritubular capillary. The results indicate that APR correlates best with SNGFR (P less than 0.05), but not with (pii - HPi), RPF, or LpAR. There was a significant relationship between piE and LpAR, where LpAR fell with increases in piE (P less than 0.01). In conclusion, 1) changes in absolute proximal reabsorption correlate best with changes in nephron filtration rate but not with (pii - HPi) across this range of values, 2) changes in efferent oncotic pressure (piiE) correlated inversely with LpAR, and 3) glomerulotubular balance in the proximal tubule can be partially attributed to intraluminal factors.