Dependency of proximal tubular fluid transport on the load of glomerular filtrate.

In hydropenic rats, the reabsorption of glomerular filtrate by the proximal convoluted tubules was measured before and after reduction of its intratubular flow rate. Three different protocols were used. (1) In 26 tubules (14 rats), nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR) was varied from 37.2 +/- 7.3 to 20.4 +/- 7.1 nl/min by microperfusing their loops of Henle at 0 to 5 nl/min and 40 nl/min, respectively. This 43% reduction of SNGFR was followed by a 36.0 +/- 23.3% reduction of volume reabsorption rate (P less than 0.001). Between both parameters a linear regression line can be calculated, which is given by y = 0.92 chi + 0.0017. (2) In 17 tubules (14 rats), SNGFR was altered again by feedback from 46.0 +/- 9.7 to 28.8 +/- 9.3 nl/min. The volume resorption from the first half of the proximal convoluted tubule was compared with the reabsorption in its late proximal segments, which were microperfused with proximal tubular fluid at a rate of 20 nl/min. The 36.8% reduction of SNGFR was followed by only a 28.2% reduction of volume reabsorption rate in the first half of the tubule. In the microperfused segments, however, reabsorption remained unaltered. (3) In 29 tubules (21 rats), at the midpoint of proximal convolutions, some of the tubule fluid was removed by a suction pump, and volume reabsorption rate in the late segments was compared with that in the early parts of this tubule, when SNGFR remained stable. The reduction of intratubular flow from 27.7 +/- 8.5 to 14.7 +/- 5.8 nl/min, which is 53% of control, were followed by a reduction of volume reabsorption rate in the late segment to 60.6% control. Between both parameters a regression line was calculated, which is given by y = 0.76 chi +/- 0.01. We conclude that the rate of volume reabsorption by the proximal tubule depends on its intratubular load of glomerular filtrate and, further, that this dependency accounts predominantly for the maintenance of glomerular tubular balance under conditions of hydropenia.