A THEORETICAL TREATMENT OF GLUCOSE REABSORPTION IN THE KIDNEY

Abstract

The equations for solute reabsorption in the proximal kidney tubule are derived, assuming Michaelis-Menten type kinetics and linear water reabsorption. Application of the equations to glucose shows that the transport system has a high affinity for glucose, being half saturated at less than 5 mg/100 ml. Most of the departure from ideal behavior of the human glucose saturation curve cannot be attributed to an unsaturated transport system. A dispersal of tubule absorptive capacity in a log-normal distribution can account for the curvature of the saturation curve.