Aluminium excretion by the distal tubule of the pig kidney.

The renal tubular handling of aluminium was investigated, using the stop-flow method, in 8 pigs (2 controls, 2 'dose range', and 4 experimental). Aluminium was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. In 11 stop-flow studies in the 4 experimental pigs, intratubular aluminium concentrations, corrected for water reabsorption, peaked in the distal nephron. Interrupted stop-flow revealed that aluminium was excreted into the tubule at this site. The aluminium excretion site was situated at or close to the sites of maximal calcium and sodium reabsorption. Aluminium excretion occurs in the distal tubule of the pig kidney.