Fluid secretion in glomerular renal proximal tubules of freshwater-adapted fish.

Tubular secretion by renal proximal tubules, as a mechanism for delivering fluid and electrolytes to the urine, has received little attention in modern conceptions of renal function in vertebrates even though it is the mechanism for urine production in aglomerular fish. This report demonstrates that some proximal tubules of glomerular kidneys of freshwater-adapted euryhaline fish spontaneously secrete fluid. The fluid consists primarily of Na (138 mM) and Cl (160 mM). NaCl and fluid secretion can be stimulated by adenosine 3',5-cyclic monophosphate, suggesting that tubular fluid secretion is under hormonal control. Fluid secretion driven by NaCl secretion in glomerular proximal tubules of fish that already filter NaCl and water suggests that secretion of fluid and NaCl may play a fundamental role in vertebrate renal function beyond a preadaptation for aglomerular urine formation.