The cellular concentrations of Na, K, and Cl have been measured in kidney slices of the amphibian, Necturus maculosus. Permeability coefficients have been determined for Na, K, Cl, Rb, Cs, and choline, from studies both of the uptake of radioactive isotopes and the rate of cell swelling in anisotonic solutions. The results of both methods were found to agree well. Measurements were also made of electrical potential differences across the peritubular face of the kidney cells using bathing solutions in which the electrolyte composition and concentrations could be varied. The data obtained are consistent with a model cell in which the potential difference arises as a result of differences in Na permeability relative to K on the two faces of the cell. The intracellular Na concentration is considered to be regulated by a Na-K coupled pump located at the peritubular face of the cell.
Article|
March 01 1961
Ionic Permeability and Electrical Potential Differences in Necturus Kidney Cells
Guillermo Whittembury,
Guillermo Whittembury
From the Biophysical Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and the Cardiorenal Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.
Search for other works by this author on:
Nobuhiro Sugino,
Nobuhiro Sugino
From the Biophysical Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and the Cardiorenal Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.
Search for other works by this author on:
A. K. Solomon
A. K. Solomon
From the Biophysical Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and the Cardiorenal Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.
Search for other works by this author on:
Guillermo Whittembury
From the Biophysical Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and the Cardiorenal Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.
Nobuhiro Sugino
From the Biophysical Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and the Cardiorenal Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.
A. K. Solomon
From the Biophysical Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and the Cardiorenal Service of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston.
Dr. Whittembury's present address is Laboratorio de Biofisica, Facultad de Medicina, Lima, Peru
Received:
July 12 1960
Online ISSN: 1540-7748
Print ISSN: 0022-1295
Copyright, 1961, by The Rockefeller Institute
1961
J Gen Physiol (1961) 44 (4): 689–712.
Article history
Received:
July 12 1960
Citation
Guillermo Whittembury, Nobuhiro Sugino, A. K. Solomon; Ionic Permeability and Electrical Potential Differences in Necturus Kidney Cells . J Gen Physiol 1 March 1961; 44 (4): 689–712. doi: https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.44.4.689
Download citation file: