[The role of the ultrastructure of the intercalated cells of the kidney collecting tubules in rats in secreting hydrogen ions].
Upon experimental metabolic acidosis in rats, induced by a long-term per os administration of a 10% ammonium chloride solution, elevation of titred acidity and ammonium level in rat's urea was registered, in addition to an increased number of intercalated cells in collecting tubules of kidney medullar zone, where the highest carboanhydrase activity occurred. The structural and functional unit of the intercalated cell is a smooth vesicle having presumable H+-,K+-translocating exchange pump within its membrane. The vesicles accumulating gradually H-ions move to the apical cell membrane to release their content by exocytosis into the tubule space. Under H+-ion hypersecretion, upon experimental acidosis, the vesicle membrane is built into the apical plasma membrane, where H+,K+-exchange occurs, thus intensity of this process increasing. The apical plasma membrane of the cell extends its surface at the expense of intracellular canaliculi that are formed.