Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Urinary Pole of the Distal Tubule Cells in the Rat Subjected to Respiratory Acidosis and to Metabolic Alkalosis

Abstract

In previous publications (RICHET et al. [1970], and HAGÈGE and RICHET [1970]) we have shown that in the rat, metabolic alkalosis, and especially respiratory acidosis, induce some modifications of the distal tubule cells, clearly demonstrated by the mitochondrial techniques (RICHET et al. [1970]). The changes observed consisted of an increase in the number of dark cells. Moreover, characters peculiar to dark cells appeared in most of the light cells, leading to an increase in the intermediary states. From these facts, together with the results of other experiments reported in the same publications, we have concluded that the light and dark cells are merely two functional aspects of the same line of tubular cells.