Flow-dependent water permeability of the rabbit descending limb of Henle's loop

Abstract

Because completely opposite results have been reported on the water permeability of the rabbit descending limbs of Henle's loop (DLH), we rigorously examined water permeability of the upper portion of the descending limb of the rabbit long-looped nephron. Even when the double-cannulation method was used in an attempt to reduce the resistance of tubular outflow, the collected fluid-to-perfusate inulin ratio was equal to or very close to the bathing fluid-to-perfusate osmolality ratio, indicating that osmotic equilibration occurred along the tubule by absorption of water. When perfusion rates were controlled by varying the height of the fluid reservoir connected to the perfusion pipette, osmotic (Pf) as well as diffusional (Pdw) water permeability was shown to be correlated with perfusion rate and/or perfusion pressure. Pf and Pdw at zero perfusion rate as determined from the values of the intercept of regression lines were 253 X 10(-3) and 4.54 X 10(-3) cm X s-1, respectively. The maximal values for Pf and Pdw were 737-1,098 X 10(-3) and 18.3 X 10(-3) cm X s-1, respectively. By changing the resistance to perfusion at the tubular outflow, it was shown that changes in Pf paralleled changes in perfusion rate rather than changes in perfusion pressure. Under stop-flow conditions the luminal fluid volume rapidly decreased after the osmolality of the bathing fluid was increased, suggesting that the segment is highly permeable to water even at zero flow rate. Reflection coefficients for urea and NaCl were 1.01 and 0.82, respectively. These data support the view that this segment is highly permeable to water and that increases in osmolality along the DLH in vivo may be accounted for mainly by abstraction of water rather than addition of solutes.