Mechanism of osmotic diuresis studied by infusion of NaHCO3 and mannitol in dogs

To examine whether mannitol and NaHCO3 are equally potent inhibitors of proximal tubular fluid reabsorption, experiments were performed in 10 anaesthetized volume-expanded dogs during continuous infusion of ethacrynic acid. At plasma pH 7.5, a rise in plasma osmolality of 40 mosmol kg-1 reduced the remaining tubular fluid reabsorption in five dogs by 14 +/- 3% during NaHCO3 infusion and by 28 +/- 1% during mannitol infusion. Bicarbonate reabsorption increased by 25 +/- 5% during NaHCO3 infusion and decreased by 14 +/- 1% during mannitol infusion. At equal rates of bicarbonate reabsorption the inhibitory effects on tubular fluid and NaCl reabsorption were slightly less during mannitol than during NaHCO3 infusion. In five other dogs studied at constant plasma concentration of sodium, changes in bicarbonate reabsorption were avoided by raising plasma pH to 7.7 during NaHCO3 infusion and by reducing plasma pH to 7.4 during mannitol infusion. Tubular fluid reabsorption was reduced 32 +/- 4% by NaHCO3 and 34 +/- 4% by mannitol infusion, indicating equal inhibitory effects. The mechanism may be that the osmotic force for paracellular reabsorption of water and NaCl across the tight junction is equally reduced by equiosmolal increments in the NaHCO3 and mannitol concentration of the proximal tubular fluid.