Peculiarities of the Na+/d-glucose cotransport system in necturus renal tubules

The effects of d-glucose addition to a glucose-free luminal perfusate were investigated in the proximal tubule of Necturus kidney, by electrophysiological techniques. The main findings are: (1) In the presence of sodium, d-glucose produces $\text{10.5}\text{mV}\text{± 1.1}$ (S.E.) depolarization. (2) Phlorizin reduces the magnitude of this response to $\text{2.1 ± 0.1}\text{mV}$. (3) The glucose-evoked depolarization, $\text{ΔV}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>G</mtext>}}$, does not alter the intracellular K⁺ activity nor is it affected by peritubular addition of ouabain. (4) Isosmotic reduction of Na⁺ concentration in luminal perfusate from 95 to 2 mmol/l (choline or Li⁺ substituting for Na⁺) does not change the magnitude of $\text{ΔV}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>G</mtext>}}$; complete removal of sodium from the lumen lowers the value of $\text{ΔV}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>G</mtext>}}$ ($\text{3.2 ± 0.2}\text{mV}$) but the response is not abolished. This observation suggests that the d-glucose carrier of renal tubules in Necturus is poorly specific with regard to the cotransported cation species.