Summary
The electrical resistance of collecting duct epithelium of the hamster kidney was measured in situ during luminal perfusion of the duct lumen with 0.3 molar NaCl solution. Three different approaches were used: 1. Determination of the voltage attenuation along an unbranched duct segment of the open collecting duct system. 2. Determination of the input resistance of the entire collecting duct tree and 3. determination of the input resistance of short unbranched duct segments, which were terminated at their upper and lower ends with insulating resin. Using models of bifurcating cable systems, described in the appendix, the specific membrane resistanceR m was calculated from experiment 1 and 2 to be 2 kΩ cm2, while experiment 3, after correction for leaks, yielded a value of approximately 1 kΩ cm2. The data confirm that collecting duct transepithelial resistance is one or two orders of magnitude higher than the resistance of distal and proximal tubule, respectively.
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Rau, W.S., Frömter, E. Electrical properties of the medullary collecting ducts of the golden hamster kidney. Pflugers Arch. 351, 113–131 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00587431
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00587431