The effects of barium on the electrical properties of the basolateral membrane in proximal tubule.

We studied the effects of millimolar Ba2+ concentrations on the properties of the basolateral membrane of the proximal tubule in Necturus kidney. Ba2+ was added in the peritubular perfusate by means of capillary microperfusion experiments. Basolateral membrane p.d. and conductance were continuously monitored in single tubules (their lumen was filled with oil) during reversible application of Ba2+ in peritubular fluid. The effect was membrane depolarization by 14mV and a decrease of membrane conductance to 63% of control values. This association strongly suggests that the main effect of Ba2+ is a decrease of the partial conductance to K+ at the basolateral membrane. However, in other experiments, performed also in oil-filled tubules, Ba2+ was shown to decrease intracellular K+ activity, recorded continuously by means of double-barreled (selective vs non selective) K+ microelectrodes. This and other, indirect evidence support the hypothesis that Ba2+ elicits also a small increase of the partial conductance to sodium at the basolateral membrane.