THE RENAL LESIONS OF ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE

Abstract

Renal tubular lesions during the early phases of progressive potassium depletion in rats were found in nephrons isolated by microdissection in two locations, the collecting tubules and the proximal convolutions. All other portions of the nephron, in particular the "distal tubule," i.e. ascending limbs of Henle's loop and distal convolutions, showed no structural alterations except the passive effects of dilatation and cellular compression which developed as a result of primary disturbances lower in the tubular system.