Lorenz, John N., Patrick J. Schultheis, Timothy Traynor, Gary E. Shull, and Jurgen Schnermann. Micropuncture analysis of single-nephron function in NHE3-deficient mice. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Renal Physiol. 46): F447-F453, 1999.--The Na/H exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) is expressed in the proximal tubule and thick ascending limb and contributes to the reabsorption of fluid and electrolytes in these segments. The contribution of NHE3 to fluid reabsorption was assessed by micropuncture in homozygous ([Nhe3.sup.-/-]) and heterozygous ([Nhe3.sub.+/-]) knockout mice, and in their wild-type (WT, [Nhe3.sup.+/+]) littermates. Arterial pressure was lower in the [Nhe3.sup.-/-] mice (89 [+ or -] 6 mmHg) compared with [Nhe3.sup.+/+] (118 [+ or -] 4) and [Nhe3.sup.+/-] (108 [+ or -] 5). Collections from proximal and distal tubules demonstrated that proximal fluid reabsorption was blunted in both [Nhe3.sup.+/-] and [Nhe3.sup.-/-] mice (WT, 4.2 [+ or -] 0.3; [Nhe3.sup.+/-], 3.4 [+ or -] 0.2; and [Nhe3.sup.-/-], 2.6 [+ or -] 0.3 nl/min; P [is less than] 0.05). However, distal delivery of fluid was not different among the three groups of mice (WT, 3.3 [+ or -] 0.4 nl/min; [Nhe3.sup.+/-], 3.3 [+ or -] 0.2 nl/min; and [Nhe3.sup.-/-], 3.0 [+ or -] 0.4 nl/min; P [is less than] 0.05). In [Nhe3.sup.-/-] mice, this compensation was largely attributable to decreased single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR): 10.7 [+ or -] 0.9 nl/min in the [Nhe3.sup.+/+] vs. 6.6 [+ or -] 0.8 nl/min in the [Nhe3.sup.-/-], measured distally. Proximal-distal SNGFR differences in [Nhe3.sup.-/-] mice indicated that much of the decrease in SNGFR was due to activation of tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF), and measurements of stop-flow pressure confirmed that TGF is intact in [Nhe3.sup.-/-] animals. In contrast to [Nhe3.sup.-/-] mice, normalization of early distal flow rate in [Nhe3.sup.+/-] mice was not related to decreased SNGFR (9.9 [+ or -] 0.7 nl/min), but rather, to increased fluid reabsorption in the loop segment ([Nhe3.sup.+/+], 2.6 [+ or -] 0.2; [Nhe3.sup.+/-], 3.6 [+ or -] 0.5 nl/min). We conclude that NHE3 is a major Na/H exchanger isoform mediating [Na.sup.+] and fluid reabsorption in the proximal tubule. In animals with NHE3 deficiency, normalization of fluid delivery to the distal tubule is achieved through alterations in filtration rate and/or downstream transport processes. kidney; single-nephron glomerular filtration rate; sodium/ proton exchange; proximal tubule; tubuloglomerular feed-back