Diluting segment in kidney of dogfish shark. II. Electrophysiology of apical membranes and cellular resistances

Diluting segments from the bundle zone of the dogfish shark kidney were perfused in vitro and the electrophysiological characteristics of this segment investigated using conventional microelectrodes and cable analysis. In 21 tubules perfused with symmetrical Ringer solutions the average transepithelial voltage (Vte), transepithelial conductance (Gte), and equivalent short circuit current (Isc) were 8.7 +/- 0.6 mV, 91.3 +/- 10.2 mS/cm2, and 641 +/- 48 microA/cm2, respectively. Microelectrode impalements in 52 cells yielded values for the basolateral membrane voltage (Vb) and an estimated apical membrane fractional resistance (fRa) of -57.5 +/- 1.3 mV and 0.896 +/- 0.008, respectively. All of these parameters were distributed in a Gaussian manner. Liminal furosemide (10(-4) M) abolished Isc, hyperpolarized apical membrane voltage (Va) and Vb, increased Gte, and reduced fRa. The apical membrane was predominantly conductive to K+: increasing luminal K+ from 5 to 49.7 mM resulted in an apical depolarization of 41.2 mV and a fall in fRa and luminal Ba2+ (1 mM) depolarized Va by 14.3 mV and increased fRa. The apical transference number for K+ was 0.74 +/- 0.07. The cellular and paracellular resistances were estimated from the effects of luminal Ba2+ on fRa and Gte. The cell conductance represented approximately 45% of Gte, with the primary resistance barrier located at the apical membrane: apical membrane resistance was 59.7 +/- 16.0 and basolateral membrane resistance was 5.9 +/- 2.3 omega.cm2. From these resistance values together with the passive permeability (PNa/PCl) of 2.5 determined previously, the ratio of net Cl- absorption to net transcellular Na+ absorption was determined to be 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)