Transport of glucose and galactose in kidney-cortex cells.

1. The aerobic transport of d-glucose and d-galactose in rabbit kidney tissue at 25 degrees was studied. 2. In slices forming glucose from added substrates an accumulation of glucose against its concentration gradient was found. The apparent ratio of intracellular ([S](i)) and extracellular ([S](o)) glucose concentrations was increased by 0.4mm-phlorrhizin and 0.3mm-ouabain. 3. Slices and isolated renal tubules actively accumulated glucose from the saline; the apparent [S](i)/[S](o) fell below 1.0 only at [S](o) higher than 0.5mm. 4. The rate of glucose oxidation by slices was characterized by the following parameters: K(m) 1.16mm; V(max.) 4.5mumoles/g. wet wt./hr. 5. The active accumulation of glucose from the saline was decreased by 0.1mm-2,4-dinitrophenol, 0.4mm-phlorrhizin and by the absence of external Na(+). 6. The kinetic parameters of galactose entry into the cells were: K(m) 1.5mm; V(max) 10mumoles/g. wet wt./hr. 7. The efflux kinetics from slices indicated two intracellular compartments for d-galactose. The galactose efflux was greatly diminished at 0 degrees , was inhibited by 0.4mm-phlorrhizin, but was insensitive to ouabain. 8. The following mechanism of glucose and galactose transport in renal tubular cells is suggested: (a) at the tubular membrane, these sugars are actively transported into the cells by a metabolically- and Na(+)-dependent phlorrhizin-sensitive mechanism; (b) at the basal cell membrane, these sugars are transported in accordance with their concentration gradient by a phlorrhizin-sensitive Na(+)-independent facilitated diffusion. The steady-state intracellular sugar concentration is determined by the kinetic parameters of active entry, passive outflow and intracellular utilization.