21. Diuretics Flashcards
outline the functions of the proximal convoluted tubule
- permeable to water
- permeable to sodium
- Na-K-ATPase channels on the basal side work to retain the concentration gradient for sodium
- large gap junctions between endothelial cells resulting in the movement of water/electrolytes via the paracellular route
why is carbonic anhydrase important?
- important enzyme in the PCT on the apical surface
- converts CO2 and water into hydrogen and bicarbonate, allowing substances to be moved from one side of the cell to the other
how does carbonic anhydrase act on the surface of proximal tubule cells?
- H+ is exported from the proximal tubule cell (actively pumped out by H+-ATPase or coupled with Na+ entry by an antiporter) at the lumen side
- bicarbonate comes in through the tubular fluid and reacts with H+ to form carbonic acid in the lumen
- carbonic anhydrase breaks H2CO3 into CO2 and water which enters the cell
- inside the cell CO2 and water recombine to form carbonic acid
- this then dissociates back into HCO3- and H+ in the cell
- H+ is exported out the cell (step 1) and HCO3- is exported out of the cell at the interstitial (blood) side cotransported with Na+ or exchanged for Cl- by an antiporter
what is glucose and amino acid transport always coupled to?
sodium movement
what do certain special transporters in the proximal tubule do?
- recognise side chains and functional groups revealed in phase I metabolism
- if the side chain/group is present it is recognised by the kidney which moves the drug molecule into the lumen of the kidney for excretion in the urine
what occurs in the descending limb of the loop of Henle?
- very permeable to water
- the tubule lumen side is more isotonic and the interstitium is more hypertonic so water travels transcellularly and paracellularly from the lumen to the interstitium (apical –> basal)
what occurs in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle?
- apical membrane is impermeable to water
- a very small amount can move through the paracellular route
- sodium-chloride-potassium triple transporters on the apical membrane allow Na, Cl and K to move in to the cell
- the Na-K ATPase on the basal membrane maintains a sodium gradient
what are the main features of the descending and ascending limbs of Henle?
DLOH: water is let out
- loose tight junctions
- not many mitochondria
- don’t pump ions
ALOH: Na and Cl pumped out
- very tight junctions
- lots of mitochondria
- very high metabolic activity
describe the counter current mechanism that occurs in the loop of henle
- water leaves the descending limb
- in the ascending limb, water cannot leave but Na, Cl and K can
- as fluid moves up the ascending limb sodium is removed from the filtrate but water doesn’t follow
- the space between the 2 limbs becomes more hypotonic (concentrated with ions) because Na is added without the addition of water
why do we need a counter current mechanism?
- to promote water movement from the collecting duct
- the process continues until there is a large concentration of sodium in the interstitium
- this acts as an osmotic gradient for water to move out of the collecting duct into the interstitium and then into the blood
what occurs in the distal convoluted tubule?
- there is a Na-Cl cotransporter on the tubular side (apical membrane)
- on the basal membrane there is Na-K-ATPase (ensures the concentration gradient is maintained and that Na is reabsorbed into the blood)
- K and Cl transporters are also present on the basal side and contransport K and Cl into the interstitium
what do vasopressin and aldosterone do in the collecting duct?
ALDOSTERONE
- mineralocorticoid which binds to the MR receptor and influences nuclear transcription
- increases transcription of Na channels and Na-K-ATPase –> cells reabsorb more sodium
VASOPRESSIN
- interacts with the V2 receptor and sticks aquaporin channels into the apical membrane –> allows water movement across the cell
how does aldosterone work?
steroid hormone –> diffuses into cell and binds with steroid hormone intracellular receptors bound to chaperone proteins –> chaperone protein released from receptor –> dimerization of steroid hormone-receptor complexes –> enters nucleus –> transcription of gene you want
what is liddle’s syndrome?
- an inherited disease of high BP
- mutation in the aldosterone activated Na channel
- channel is always ‘on’ –> Na retention –> hypertension
how do diuretics work?
- by inhibiting the reabsorption of Na and Cl
- losing more ions to the urine means water follows
- they also increase the osmolarity of the tubular fluid
what are the 5 major classes of diuretics? give examples of each
- osmotic diuretics (e.g. mannitol)
- carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (e.g. acetazolamide)
- loop diuretics (e.g. frusemide)
- thiazides (e.g. bendrofluazide)
- potassium sparing diuretics (e.g. spironolactone)