History of renal physiology in Germany during the 19th century.

The roots of renal physiology in Germany in the last century have been traced. Vitalistic concepts became replaced by physical, chemical and mechanistic laws which govern biological processes. First, the main exponents of renal physiology, J. Henle, C. Ludwig and R.P.H. Heidenhain, are discussed, then the (indirect) contributions of A. Fick, K. Peter, H. Helmholtz, E. du Bois-Reymond, J.L. Schönlein and A. Dohrn are evaluated. The original literature bearing on renal physiology in the 19th century is screened by a survey of publications in Pflügers Archiv and Archiv der experimentellen Pathologie und Pharmakologie. We point to the international cooperation in the field. At the turn of the century, renal function was adequately described by a theory of glomerular filtration, tubular secretion and tubular reabsorption.

Amiloride-inhibitable Na+ conductance in rat proximal tubule.

Previous single-channel recordings from the luminal membrane of the rabbit proximal tubule have revealed amiloride-inhibitable Na+ channels of a characteristic conductance range. The present study aimed to pursue this issue in rat proximal tubule. Control rats were compared to those put on a low-Na+ diet or pretreated by triamcinolone injections (s.c.). Stimulation of Na+ absorption by glucocorticoids was verified by examining the transepithelial voltage in Ussing chamber studies of the distal colon. The membrane voltage (Vm) of isolated, in-vitro-perfused proximal tubule segments was measured in patch-clamp and impalement studies. It was found that amiloride hyperpolarized Mv significantly by 2.1 +/- 0.9 mV (n = 26) in tubules of control rats, by 3.9 +/- 0.7 mV (n = 12) in rats put on a low-Na+ diet and by 3.7 +/- 1.0 mV (n = 17) in rats treated with glucocorticoids. The effect of amiloride was concentration dependent with a half-maximal effect at < 1 micromol/l. RT-PCR techniques were used to search for the presence of the alpha-, beta- and gamma-subunits of the epithelial Na+ channel in isolated proximal tubule segments. The presence of the respective mRNAs was verified. These data indicate that: (1) amiloride-inhibitable Na+ channels are present in rate proximal tubules; (2) the Na+ conductance may be up-regulated by Na+ deprivation but is still very limited when compared to total cell conductance; (3) therefore, the contribution of Na+-channel-mediated absorption to total proximal Na+ absorption is probably small.

Luminal transport step of para-aminohippurate (PAH): transport from PAH-loaded proximal tubular cells into the tubular lumen of the rat kidney in vivo.

Proximal tubular cells were loaded for 10 s with [3H]para-aminohippurate ([3H]PAH) by microperfusing the peritubular capillaries with Ringer solution containing 0.05 mmol/l PAH. Immediately thereafter [3H]PAH influx from cells into a column of equilibrium solution injected into the oil-filled tubular lumen was measured by re-aspirating the fluid after 1-10 s of contact time. The rise of luminal PAH concentration within 2 s of contact time was almost linear, reaching a luminal/capillary concentration ratio of 1.6 after 2 s and of 3.2 after 5 s. The 2-s PAH concentration ratio was not changed when different manoeuvres were applied to depolarize proximal tubular cells. Also, the 2-s PAH concentration ratio was not influenced by varying the luminal pH from 6.0 to 8.0 or the luminal Cl- concentration from zero to 134 mmol/l or when either 5 mmol/l urate or 25 mmol/l lactate was in the luminal perfusate. A decrease in the 2-s PAH concentration ratio, i.e. trans-inhibition, was observed when 25 or 50 mmol/l HCO3- (-50%) was in the luminal perfusate. Trans-inhibition was also seen with 5 mmol/l of the following substituted benzoates: 2-hydroxy-benzoate (-58%), 2-methoxy-benzoate (-46%), 2-hydroxy-benzoate-acetyl ester (-36%), 2-hydroxy-3,5-dinitro-benzoate (-48%), 3,5-dichloro-benzoate (-49%), and 2,3,5-trichloro-benzoate (-45%). No effect was seen with benzoate, 3-hydroxy-benzoate, 2-chloro-benzoate, 2-nitro-benzoate, 2,5-dinitro-benzoate, 3-sulfamoyl-benzoate and 4-sulfamoyl-benzoate. However, analogues of the latter two compounds possessing two additional side groups, such as furosemide and piretanide, or a hydrophobic moiety, such as probenecid, were inhibitory (by -62, -41 and -49% respectively). Phenoxyacetate had no effect; however, it inhibited if in addition it had three chloro groups, as in 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate (-71%) or a hydrophobic carbamoyl side group, as in mersalylic acid (salyrgan, -75%). Benzene-sulfonate trans-inhibited (-33%), as did phenolsulfonphthalein (phenol red, -39%) and sulfofluorescein (-55%). However, the trans-inhibitory effect of the corresponding carboxy-compounds was absent (phenolphthalein) or weaker (fluorescein, -42%). The trans-inhibitory effect of the uricosurics ethacrynic acid (-53%), tienilic acid (-55%) indacrinone (-72%) and benzbromarone (-42%) could be attributed to two chloro or bromo side groups on the benzene ring. Other trans-inhibiting uricosuric substances were indomethacin (-42%), sulfinpyrazone (-38%), losartan (-80%) its metabolite EXP 3174 (-55%), and AA 193 (-65%). These organic acids, with pKa values between 2.8 and 4.9, possess chloro and sulfin groups, as well as heterocyclic 5-ring and hydrophobic ring or chain areas. No significant effect was seen with 5 mmol/l PAH, 2-oxo-glutarate, DIDS, cGMP, prostaglandin E2, cortisol, benzylamiloride, pyrazinoic acid and 25 mmol/l lactate. Our data indicate that in situ the secretory luminal PAH transport proceeds in a non-rheogenic fashion, per exclusionem by anion exchange. The observed trans-inhibition of PAH secretion seems to correlate with the affinity for the luminal PAH transporter and, for uricosuric substances, with their uricosuric potency.

Interaction of Alkyl/Arylphosphonates, phosphonocarboxylates and diphosphonates with different anion transport systems in the proximal renal tubule.

Luminal and contraluminal stop-flow microperfusion was applied, and the apparent Ki values (mmol/l) against the luminal phosphate and the contraluminal p-aminohippurate (PAH), sulfate and dicarboxylate transport systems were evaluated. Luminal phosphate transporter: Among the 20 compounds tested only phosphonoformate (foscarnet), etidronate, and clodronate have a good affinity (app.Ki < 1 mmol/l), whereas the 2-naphthylphosphonates, phosphonoacetate, pamidronate, alendronate and aminomethanediphosphonates have a moderate affinity (app.Ki, 1.6-6.0 mmol/l). The other compounds tested had a low (app. Ki > 6 mmol/l) or no affinity. Contraluminal PAH transporter: The hydrophobic phenyl-, benzyl- or 2-naphthylphosphonates have good to moderate affinity, whereas the less hydrophobic alkylphosphonates, the phosphonocarboxylates (except 4-phosphonobutyrate) and all tested diphosphonates show no interaction. Sulfate transporter: 2-Naphthylmethylphosphonate and 2-naphthylmethyldifluorophosphonate have a good affinity (app.Ki

Stereospecificity in contraluminal and luminal transporters of organic cations in the rat renal proximal tubule.

The effect of chirality on the interaction of substrates with the organic cation transporters in the proximal tubule of rat kidney was investigated. The apparent Ki values of the enantiomers/diastereomers of ephedrine and norephedrine and the stereoisomers of deprenyl, tranylcypromine, disopyramide, verapamil, pindolol and quinine/quinidine were determined against the contraluminal organic cation transporter, the luminal H+/organic cation exchanger and the luminal choline+ transporter, using the stop-flow luminal or contraluminal capillary microperfusion method. The ephedrine/norephedrine enantiomers/diastereomers had apparent Ki values against the contraluminal organic cation transporter in the range of 0.8 to 2.4 mM, and only norpseudoephedrine showed significant enantioselectivity. The same substrates had apparent Ki values against the luminal H+/organic cation exchanger between 3.0 and 15.0 mM, and ephedrine, norephedrine and norpseudoephedrine showed enantioselectivity. The Ki values against the luminal choline+ transporter were even higher (7.2-19.1 mM) and demonstrated no enantioselectivity. The verapamil and deprenyl enantiomers showed selectivity against the luminal choline+ transporter, as did quinine and quinidine against the contraluminal organic cation transporter. In all other instances enantioselectivity was not observed. In no case was the difference in the Ki values of the enantiomers/isomers greater than a factor of 3. The data confirm the high degree of nonspecificity of the renal organic cation transporters. Evaluation of three-dimensional molecular models of the ephedrine enantiomers/diastereomers suggests that the spatial orientations of the amino group and, to a lesser extent, the OH group and possibly the terminal CH3 group are of importance for different interactions with the transporters.

Luminal transport system for choline+ in relation to the other organic cation transport systems in the rat proximal tubule. Kinetics, specificity: alkyl/arylamines, alkylamines with OH, O, SH, NH2, ROCO, RSCO and H2PO4-groups, methylaminostyryl, rhodamine, acridine, phenanthrene and cyanine compounds.

The efflux of [3H] choline+ from the proximal tubular lumen was measured by using the stop-flow microperfusion method. The 2-s efflux of [3H] choline+ follows kinetics with a Michaelis constant, Km = 0.18 mmol x l-1, maximal flux, Jmax = 0.43 pmol x cm-1 x s-1 and a permeability term = 38.0 micron2 small middle dots-1. Replacement of Na+ by N-methyl-D-glucamine+ or Li+, or a change of luminal pH do not alter choline+ efflux. Replacement of Na+ by Cs+ inhibits 2-s choline+ (0. 01 mmol x l-1) efflux by 22% and replacement by K+ inhibits by 49%, indicating that the electrical potential difference across the brush border membrane acts as driving force for choline+ transport. Comparing the apparent luminal inhibitory constant values for choline (app. Ki,l,choline+) with the chemical structure of inhibiting substrates, it was found that the inhibitory potency of amines with high pKa values, i.e. high basicity, and of quaternary ammonium compounds (tetraethyl to tetrahexylammonium) increases with their hydrophobicity in a similar manner as was observed previously against the contraluminal N1-methylnicotinamide (NMeN+) transporter and the luminal H+/organic cation (N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) (MPP+) exchanger. Independently of their hydrophobicity, an increase in the inhibitory potency of the homologous series of aminoquinolines against the choline+ transporter was observed with increasing pKa values, i.e. increasing basicity, as was found previously against the two other organic cation transporters. A third parameter influencing the interaction with the choline+ transporter is the presence of two amino groups with high pKa values or one amino group and a permanent positive charge, as is documented with the two-ring aminostyryl and rhodamine compounds, as well as three-ring aminoacridine, aminophenanthrene and cyanine compounds. Thus with the aminostyryl, pyridinium+, rhodamine, phenanthridium+ and cyanine+ dyes app.Ki,l,choline+ values of between 0.01 and 0.07 mmol x l-1 have been found. A fourth parameter influencing the choline+ transporter is the presence of an OH group on the C atom next to that bearing the N atom (as in choline+) or an ester-OCOR group (acetylcholine+, butyrylcholine+) or a thioester-SCOR-group (acetylthiocholine+, butyrylthiocholine+); or an -OP(OH)2(OR) group (glycerylphosphoryl-choline+), resulting in app.Ki,l,choline+ values of 0.3-1.0 mmol x l-1. Thus the substrates for the luminal choline+ transporter have general features in common with the luminal H+/organic cation exchanger and the contraluminal organic cation transporter, i.e. hydrophobicity and basicity. Additional parameters for interaction are an OH (or similar) group positioned a favourable distance from the N atom or a second amino/ammonium group in multi-ring compounds.

Luminal transport system for H+/organic cations in the rat proximal tubule. Kinetics, dependence on pH; specificity as compared with the contraluminal organic cation-transport system.

The efflux of radiolabelled organic cations from the tubular lumen into proximal tubular cells was investigated by using the stop-flow microperfusion method. The efflux rate increased in the sequence: N1-methylnicotinamide (NMeN+) < cimetidine < tetraethylammonium (TEA+) < N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). Preloading the animals by i.v. infusion or pre perfusion of the peritubular capillaries with NMeN+ increased the efflux rate of MPP+. Luminal efflux was also augmented when the tubular solution was made alkaline with HCO3- or phosphate, whereby HCO3- is more effective than phosphate. Replacement of Na+ by Cs+ showed no effect. With i.v. preloading the animals with NMeN+ and with 25 mM HCO3- in the luminal perfusate the 2-s efflux follows kinetics with a Michaelis constant Km = 0.21 mmol/l and maximal flux Jmax = 0.42 pmol.cm-1.s-1 and a permeability term with P = 37.7 microns2.s-1. Comparing the apparent luminal inhibitory constant values for MPP+ (Kil,MPP+) with the apparent contraluminal Kicl,NMeN+ values of substrates of homologous series, it was found that (1) limitation by molecular size occurs at the contraluminal cell side earlier than at the luminal cell side; (2) affinity increases with hydrophobicity of the substrates at the luminal cell side, with a steeper or equal slope than at the contraluminal cell side; (3) affinity increases with basicity (i.e. pKa values) at the luminal cell side with a steeper slope than at the contraluminal cell side. Taken together, substrates with low hydrophobicity and low basicity interact at the luminal cell side more weakly than at the contraluminal cell side. On the other hand large, hydrophobic substrates have, at the luminal cell side, a higher affinity than at the contraluminal cell side. Many substrates, however, have equal affinity at the luminal and contraluminal cell sides.

Transport interactions of different organic cations during their excretion by the intact rat kidney.

Organic cations, in addition to being filtrated, are secreted or reabsorbed in the proximal renal tubule whereby they have to pass the contraluminal and the luminal cell membrane. Interactions with the transport of other organic cations can occur at either cell side, leading to inhibition or stimulation of net secretion or net reabsorption. A qualitative evaluation of such processes is possible by using the in vivo bolus injection of an organic cation as test substance. Measuring its urinary excretion profile in relation to that of inulin, under control conditions and after application of interfering organic cations, in combination with simultaneous registration of its tissue concentration, allows the demonstration of interaction and also the tentative identification of the cell side at which interference has taken place. As test substance the fluorescent organic cation 4-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium (4-Di-1-ASP+; denotes permanent positively-charged organic cations was used, having a protein binding of 47% under the given experimental conditions. As interfering organic cations amiloride, benzylamiloride, choline+, cimetidine, and 2-methyl-4-(heptafluorobutoxy)-N-methylpyridinium+ were injected. It was found that: (1) 4-Di-1-ASP+ is filtered and net reabsorbed under control conditions (fractional excretion 0.54 +/- 0.1). All net secreted interfering substances, except bidirectional transported choline+, injected simultaneously with 4-Di-1-ASP+, showed an interference with renal excretion of net reabsorbed 4-Di-1-ASP+, by (2) instantaneously increasing its reabsorption, resulting in a 28 to 33% decrease in urinary excretion, and (3) augmenting its tissue concentration by 19 to 58%. (4) A prolonged effect of the interfering substrates could be observed after a third injection of 4-Di-1-ASP+ (without inhibitor) showing an increased tissue concentration of 4-Di-1-ASP+ of 36 to 46%. The complex interfering pattern of the applied organic cations can be explained by a trans-stimulation of 4-Di-1-ASP+ net reabsorption at the luminal cell side, leading to an increased intracellular content of 4-Di-1-ASP+.

Polysubstrates: substances that interact with renal contraluminal PAH, sulfate, and NMeN transport: sulfamoyl-, sulfonylurea-, thiazide- and benzeneamino-carboxylate (nicotinate) compounds.

Some N-containing xenobiotics were recently shown to behave as bisubstrates; that is, they interact with and are transported by both the contraluminal transport system for organic anions (PAH) and the contraluminal transport system for organic cations (NMeN). Thus we determined whether other classes of N-containing substrates, such as sulfamoyl-, sulfonylurea-, thiazide- and benzeneamino-carboxylate (nicotinate) compounds, amongst them diuretics and other drugs, also interact with both transporters. To test this, we applied the stop-flow peritubular capillary perfusion method with initial flux measurements and determined app. Ki values for these substrates on PAH, sulfate and NMeN transport. We found that the following compounds interact with 1) the PAH transporter: benzene carboxylates, benzenesulfonylureas and benzenesulfonamides (as long as their acid pKa value is below 9.5). 2) the sulfate transporter: 2-anilinobenzoates, benzenesulfonylureas, polysubstituted sulfamoylbenzoates and some sulfamoylthiazides with electronegative charge accumulation around an anionic site. 3) the NMeN transporter: anilinobenzoates, sulfamoylbenzoates and benzenesulfonamides, if they bear an N-containing pyridine, pyrrolidine, furylmethylamino or thiazide group. There are, however, exceptions when H-bond formation might be responsible for interaction with that transporter. The data confirm the specificity rule for each transporter and the concept that one and the same substrate can match the requirements for several transporters. Thus the loop diuretics furosemide and piretanide, the thiazide diuretics hydrochlorothiazide, cyclopenthiazide and bendroflumethiazide and the sulfonylureas tolbutamide, chlorpropamide and torasemide interact with all three tested transport systems for PAH, sulfate and NMeN. Therefore, they are able to accomplish complex transport interactions with different transporters.

Simple device for continuous measurement of fluorescent anions and cations in the rat kidney in situ.

A simple device for fluorescence measurements on kidney surface in situ (FKS) is described. The device consists of (1) an illuminating unit, (2) a detector, (3) an evaluation unit. The device was developed for measurement of tissue content of anionic sulfofluorescein and cationic 4(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium (ASP) during its secretion by proximal renal tubular cells.

Bisubstrates: substances that interact with renal contraluminal organic anion and organic cation transport systems. I. Amines, piperidines, piperazines, azepines, pyridines, quinolines, imidazoles, thiazoles, guanidines and hydrazines.

In order to evaluate whether N-containing substrates interact with the organic "anion" (p-aminohippurate, PAH) or only with the organic "cation" (N1-methylnicotinamide, NMeN) transport system or with both, the stop-flow peritubular capillary microperfusion method was applied in the rat kidney in situ and the apparent Ki values of several classes or organic substrate against contraluminal NMeN and PAH transport were determined. Organic "anion" and organic "cation" transport are in inverted commas because neither transporter sees the degree of ionization in bulk solution, and they also accept nonionizable substrates [Ullrich KJ, Rumrich G (1992) Pflügers Arch 421:286-288]. Amines must be sufficiently hydrophobic (phenylethylamine, piperidine, piperazine) in order to interact with NMeN transport. Additional Cl, Br, NO2 or other electronegative groups render them inhibitory towards PAH transport also. Such bisubstrate amines were identified as follows: metoclopramide, bromopride, diphenhydramine, bromodiphenhydramine, verapamil, citalopram, ketamine, mefloquine, ipsapirone, buspirone, trazodone, H7 and trifluoperazine. Imidazole analogues interact with both transporters if they bear sufficiently hydrophobic alkyl or aryl groups or electronegative sidegroups. Bisubstrate imidazole analogues are tinidazole, pilocarpine, clonidine, azidoclonidine and cimetidine. Pyridines and thiazoles interact with the NMeN transporter if they have an additional ring-attached NH2 group. Again with an additional Cl, Br, or NO2 group the aminopyridines and aminothiazoles also become inhibitors for the PAH transporter. Amongst the guanidines only substances with several electronegative side-groups such as guanfacine, amiloride, benzylamiloride and ranitidine, interact with both transporters. Amongst the phenylhydrazines only 4-bromophenylhydrazine interacts with the NMeN transporter and 4-nitrophenylhydrazine with both transporters. Quinoline (isoquinoline) and its amino and hydroxy analogues interact with both transporters, their pKa values correlate directly with the affinity to the NMeN transporter and reciprocally with their affinity to the PAH transporter. In experiments with labelled substrates only the sufficiently hydrophilic cimetidine, amiloride and ranitidine show a saturable transport, which can be inhibited by probenecid (apalcillin) and tetraethylammonium in an additive manner. The highly hydrophobic substrates verapamil, citalopram, imipramine, diltiazem and clonidine enter the cell very fast in an unsaturable and uninhibitable manner, apparently in the undissociated form, since N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium, which--disregarding its ionization--is similarly hydrophobic, shows a transport behaviour similar to that of tetraethylammonium [Ullrich et al. (1991) Pflügers Arch 419:84-92]. Ethidium bromide and dimidium bromide, which have a permanent cationic quaternary nitrogen and two sufficiently electronegative NH2 groups, also interact with both transporters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Bisubstrates: substances that interact with both, renal contraluminal organic anion and organic cation transport systems. II. Zwitterionic substrates: dipeptides, cephalosporins, quinolone-carboxylate gyrase inhibitors and phosphamide thiazine carboxylates; nonionizable substrates: steroid hormones and cyclophosphamides.

In order to test what chemical structure is required for a substrate to interact not only with the contraluminal organic anion (p-aminohippurate, PAH) transporter, but also with the organic cation (N1-methylnicotinamide, NMeN, or tetraethylammonium, TEA) transporter, the stop-flow peritubular capillary perfusion method was applied and app. Ki values were evaluated. Zwitterionic hydrophobic dipeptides not only interact with PAH but also with NMeN transport although with lower inhibitory potency (Ki,PAH = 0.2-1.4; Ki,NMeN 6-14 mmol/l). Amongst the zwitterionic cephalosporins, which all inhibit PAH transport, the amino cephalosporin analogue cefadroxil was identified to interact also with NMeN transport (Ki,PAH = 3.0, Ki,NMeN = 11.2 mmol/l). All zwitterionic naphthyridine and oxochinoline gyrase inhibitors tested inhibit NMeN transport with app. Ki,NMeN values between 1.2 mmol/l and 4.7 mmol/l; the naphthyridine analogues show a good inhibitory potency against PAH transport (Ki,PAH approximately 0.4 mmol/l), the piperazine-containing quinolone analogues have a moderate inhibitory potency (Ki,PAH = 1.1-2.5 mmol/l) and the piperazine-containing pipemidic acid did not inhibit PAH transport at all. Zwitterionic thiazolidine carboxylate phosphamides also interact with both transporters (app. Ki,PAH approximately 3.0; app. Ki,NMeN approximately 18.0 mmol/l). The nonionizable oxo- and hydroxy-group-containing corticosteroid hormones also interact with the two transporters. (a) An OH group in position 21 is necessary for interaction with the PAH transporter, but not for interaction with the TEA transporter. (b) Introduction of an OH group in position 17 alpha abolishes interaction with the TEA transporter, but has different effects with the PAH transporter. (c) Introduction of an OH group in position 6 abolishes interaction with both, the PAH and the TEA transporter. (d) A change of the side-group in position 11 of corticosterone from -OH to -H to = O enhances interaction with the PAH transporter but has no effect on the interaction with the TEA transporter. Nonionizable 4- or 5-androstene analogues inhibit both transporters with app. Ki between 0.16 mmol/l and 0.64 mmol/l, if the steroids are soluble in a concentration greater than 1 mmol/l. Nonionizable oxazaphosphorins with more than one chloroethyl group interact with the PAH transporter with app. Ki between 0.84 mmol/l and 4.9 mmol/l and with the NMeN transporter with app. Ki between 3.2 mmol/l and 18.7 mmol/l. Thus a substrate interacts with both transporters if it is sufficiently hydrophobic, possesses acidic and/or electron-attracting plus basic and/or electron-donating groups, or possesses several electron-attracting nonionizable groups (O, OH, Cl). A certain spatial arrangement of the interacting groups seems to be necessary.

Renal transport mechanisms for xenobiotics: chemicals and drugs.

Using the stopped flow tubular lumen or peritubular capillary microperfusion method, the apparent Ki values of a large number of organic anions and cations against the respective transport systems were evaluated. Thereby the luminal transport system for monocarboxylates (lactate), the contraluminal and luminal transport systems for dicarboxylates (succinate), sulfate, and hydrophobic organic cations (tetraethylammonium or N1-methyl-nicotinamide), as well as contraluminal transport system for hydrophobic organic anions (para-aminohippurate, PAH) were characterized and their specificity determined. There is a partially overlapping substrate specificity between the PAH, dicarboxylate, and sulfate transport systems but also between the PAH and organic cation transport system. Xenobiotics and their metabolites are transported mainly by the organic anion (PAH) and organic cation transport systems. To test the complicated interactions possible a shot injection/urinary excretion method with simultaneous measurement of the intracellular concentration was developed. With this approach it is possible to evaluate (a) whether a substrate is net secreted or net reabsorbed, (b) whether interference with other substrates occurs, (c) whether interference takes place at the luminal or contraluminal cell side, and (d) whether cis-inhibition or trans-stimulation is the predominant mode of interaction. Finally, it will be discussed which ability a substrate must have to penetrate the cell membrane via a transporter, through the lipid bilayer, or both.

Cisplatin nephrotoxicity: site of functional disturbance and correlation to loss of body weight.

We have investigated the effect of an intraperitoneal cisplatin injection (5 mg/kg body weight) into male Wistar rats on: (1) body weight; (2) proximal tubular transport of D-glucose and sulfate across the luminal membrane; (3) transport of p-aminohippuric acid (PAH) and sulfate across the contraluminal membrane; (4) urinary excretion of inulin; (5) urinary excretion and tissue accumulation of sulfofluorescein, and (6) effect of the 'protecting substances', N-Methyl-D-glucamine-dithiocarbamate (NaG), diethyldithiocarbamate, mercaptosuccinate (MS), probenecid, and glycine on parameters 1, 4 and 5. Five days after intraperitoneal application of cisplatin the following effects were observed: (1) body weight was reduced on average by 11% as compared to a 12% increase in control animals; (2) luminal sulfate and D-glucose transport was inhibited correlating with the degree of weight loss; (3) contraluminal PAH transport was also decreased in correlation to the loss of body weight, while contraluminal sulfate transport was not inhibited by cisplatin; (4) inulin excretion was reduced by 45%, the pattern for protection was the same as for the prevention of weight loss; (5) sulfofluorescein (SF) excretion in the urine was reduced by 43%, and (6) accumulation of SF into cortical tissue was augmented. Protecting substances prevented or mitigated weight loss, fall of urinary inulin and SF excretion as well as SF accumulation in cortical tissue with a similar pattern: N-glucamine-dithiocarbamate > mercaptosuccinate approximately probenecid approximately glycine. The data indicate: (1) that luminal (glucose and sulfate) and contraluminal (PAH) transport processes are affected by cisplatin; (2) that contraluminal transport (sulfate) can be unaffected or less affected than luminal transport processes (SF); (3) our method (SF) gives the possibility to monitor the balance between luminal and contraluminal transport steps in vivo; and (4) the correlation of body weight loss with decay of certain renal transport functions and their prevention with similar protecting patterns indicates that a simple index might be useful to monitor the cytotoxic status of an individual.