The effect of shear stress on the basolateral membrane potential of proximal convoluted tubule of the rat kidney.

As consequence of glomerular filtration the viscosity of blood flowing through the efferent arteriole increases. Recently, we found that shear stress modulates proximal bicarbonate reabsorption and nitric oxide (NO.) was the chemical mediator of this effect. In the present work, we found that agonists of NO. production affected basolateral membrane potential (V (blm)) of the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) epithelium. Using paired micropuncture experiments, we perfused peritubular capillaries with solutions with different viscosity while registering the V (blm). Our results showed that a 50% increment in the viscosity, or the addition of bradykinin (10(-5) M) to the peritubular perfusion solution, induced a significant and similar hyperpolarization of the V (blm) at the PCT epithelium of 6 +/- 0.7 mV (p < 0.05). Both hyperpolarizations were reverted by L-NAME (10(-4) M). Addition of 2,2'-(hydroxynitrosohydrazino) bis-ethanamine (NOC-18) 3 x 10(-4) M to the peritubular perfusion solution induced a hyperpolarization of the same magnitude of that high viscosity or bradykinin. These results strongly suggest the involvement of NO. in the effect of high viscosity solutions. This effect seems to be mediated by activation of K+(ATP) channels as glybenclamide (5 x 10(-5) M) added to peritubular solutions induced a larger depolarization of the V (blm) with high viscosity solutions. Acetazolamide (5 x 10(-5) M) added to high viscosity solutions induced a larger hyperpolarization (8 +/- 1 mV; p < 0.05), suggesting that depolarizing current due to HCO(-)3 exit across the basolateral membrane damps the hyperpolarizing effect of high viscosity. Considering that Na(+) and consequently water reabsorption is highly dependent on electrical gradient, the present data suggest that the endothelium of kidney vascular bed interacts in paracrine fashion with the epithelia, affecting V (blm) and thus modulating PCT reabsorption.