Case 7- Chronic kidney disease Flashcards
What are the 4 main functions of the kidney?
- Maintenance of extracellular fluid volume, primarily through regulating Na+ (water follows)
- Excretion of metabolic waste: inc urea and creatinine
- Acid-base balance
- endocrine; hormone secretoin
What is the endocrine function of the kidney?
- RAAS: renin produced by the kidney, involved in production of Ang II and regulates BP
- Erythropoietin: RBC production and regulation
- Vitamin D: calcium regulation
What 2 processes does the process of concentrating urine rely on?
- Counter current multiplier: in the Loop of Henle
- Counter current exchanger: vasa recta
How do the ascending and descending limb vary in their permeability?
Descending= impermeable to NaCl = only H2O reabsorbed
Ascending= impermeable to water, only NaCl reabsorbed
What is the max gradient possible between tubular fluid and surrounding interstitial fluid?
200 mOsm/Kg
Compare the osmolalities of very dilute urine and the max concentrated urine
Very dilute= 100
Max concentration= 1200
How does the osmolality of tubular fluid change throughout the nephron?
End of PCT= isotonic
bottom of Loop of Henle= hypertonic
Before DCT= hypotonic
(then altered to suit hydration needs)
What does reabsorption throughout the PCT rely on?
Electrochemical gradient from Na+/K+ ATPase.
What does the PCT reabsorb?
- Na+ via SGLT2 (some by SGLT1) and then K+/Na+ ATPase
- Glucose via SGLT2 (some by SGLT1) and then GLUT2
- HCO3-
- Citrate
- Amino acids
- K+ (paracellular route)
- H2O (paracellular route)
What is responsible for Na+ absorption in the PCT?
NHE-3 = Na+/H+ exchanger on the apical membrane
What does the PCT excrete?
Bile salts
What is reabsorbed in the thin ascending limb and how?
Na+ = passively via ENaC
Cl- = passively by Cl- channels
What is reabsorbed/ excreted in the thick ascending limb and how?
Active process; Na+/K+ ATPase sets gradient:
- NKCC2 on apical side, reabsorbs Na+, K+ and 2Cl-
K+ is excreted (recycled) by ROMK2 (passive), as it has built up from NKCC2
What is reabsorbed in the early DCT?
Na+, Cl- and Ca2+ (impermeable to water):
- NCC: reabsorbs Na+ with Cl- (apical)
- TRPV5 reabsorbs Ca2+ (apical)
- NCX1: Na+/ Ca2+ exchanger reabsorbs Ca2+ for Na+ (basolateral)
- PMCA1b (Ca2+ ATPase pump) on basolateral side
- Na+ reabsorbed via Na/K+ ATPase
What are the 2 types of cells present in the late DCT and early CD? Give their net effect / function
Principal cells (bulk): uptake of Na+ into blood and extrude K+ in urine via ROMK1/3
Intercalated cells: involved in acid base balance:
- Type A = use H+ ATPase and H+/K+ ATPase to secrete H+ into urine
- Type B= secrete HCO3- and reabsorb H+
What are the effects of aldosterone on resorption in the collecting duct?
Increases ENaC = more resorption of Na+ (so water can follow)
Stimulates ROMK1/3 opening
Reverses the basolateral K+ channel, so K+ can be excreted (resorbed into cell, then leaves apical side via ROMK1/3)
What transporter in the CD is stimulated with a high plasma K+?
Cl-/ K+ co-transporter (in principal cell)
Why doesn’t aldosterone itself cause water retention?
If ADH isnt present, then we cannot absorb water as there are no AQP2’s present. Aldosterone only causes water retention indirectly by creating an osmotic gradient
What do the intercalated cells in the collecting duct help protect against? How do they do so?
Help protect against hypokalaemia and acidosis:
- If low plasma K+ is detected then H+/K+ ATPases are activated to reabsorb K+
- if acidosis is detected, then H+ ATPases are activated to excrete H+
Describe the permeability of the late DCT and CD to water, how can it vary?
Impermeable to water in the absence of ADH. When ADH is present, it binds to V2 receptors = insertion of AQP2 on apical membrane. Water can leave urine and enter the cell, then leave via AQP3/4 basolaterally (always there)
What AQP channels are present in the thick descending limb?
AQP1
How is K+ distributed in the body? Give the concentrations
- Most in cells (intracellular)= 98%, concentration 150-160mmol/L
- Remaining in ECF= 2%, at 4-5 mmol/L
How does hypo/hyperkalaemia affect depolarisation?
Hypokalaemia= hyperdepolarisatoin
Hyperkalaemia= depolarisation
Where is most of K+ reabsorbed?
PCT, then Loop of Henle (remaining amount is variable in CD/ late DCT)
What non-modifable factor determines concentration of urine?
Length of loop of Henle; if longer = more concentrated urine
What is the counter current exchanger?
Vasa recta surrounding the nephron has blood moving in the opposite direction to tubular fluid. As blood comes out the glomerulus, it is around 300. Then Na+ is taken up from tubular fluid. As it descends, blood osmolality is increased to 1200 (same as urine). As it ascends, it reabsorbs water.
(opposite to the tubular fluid mechanism)
How does diabetes cause polydipsia?
- high glucose, exceeds Tm (transport maximum), so glucose remains in the tubular fluid.
- glucose is osmotically active, so can attract water
- Glucose is in the tubular fluid and osmolality is high (1200), so encourages water to remain in the tubular fluid
- Osmotic diuresis and dehydration
- Detected by the hypothalamus = release of Ang II = thirst centre to drink more
Following head trauma, a patient develops central diabetes inspidus which is associated with a reduction in vasopressin secretion. The osmolality of a spot urine sample is expected to be…?
100, as this is what urine concentration is at DCT (before affected by ADH)
What is the distribution of Mg2+ and Ca2+ in the body?
99% of Ca2+ in bone, 1% in ECF
50% of Mg2+ in bone, 50% in ECF
How are Ca2+ and Mg2+ affected by osteoblasts/ osteoclasts?
Both Ca2+ and Mg2+ can be moved into the bone (from ECF) by osteoblasts
They can be moved out of bone into ECF via osteoclasts
How does Ca2+ affect depolarisation threshold?
Hypercalcaemia = raises depolarisation threshold
Hypocalcaemia = lowers depolarisation threshold
How does Mg2+ affect heart rate?
Hypermagnesaemia = lowers HR
Hypomagnesaemia = raises HR
How is Mg2+ and Ca2+ reabsorbed by the kidney?
Predominantly PCT and Loop of Henle (around 90% of both) via paraellular routes, then more selective reabsorption in DCT (remaining)
How is Ca2+ reabsorbed by the DCT?
- Enters via TRPV5, then bound to calbindin-D28K
- Transported to basolateral side and can exit by NCX1 (exchanged with Na+) or by PMCA1b (ATPase; pumped against concentration gradient)
What stimulates resorption of Ca2+?
TRPV5 is opened by:
- Parathyroid hormone, vitamin D and sex hormones (bind to receptors on basolateral side)
- Klotho from tubular fluid, can bind to it directly
How is Mg2+ reabsorbed by the kidney?
TRPM6 on apical side (so takes up Mg2+ from the urine into the cell). It is driven by an electrochemical gradient
What can stimulate Mg2+ absorption?
Epidermal growth factor
What is the average renal blood flow?
1L/min (around 20% of Q)
What achieves the filtration barrier of the kidneys?
- Podocytes on the epithelium: have foot processes (pedicles), stops larger molecules leaving the blood into tubular fluid.
- Endothelium: fenestrated
- Cells of the basement membrane have a negative charge; repels negatively charged ions
What type of blood vessels line the glomerulus?
Fenestrated capillaries
How does the PCT balance pH?
NHE-3 brings in a Na+ for H+ (goes into blood)
To balance the Na+, this transporter is linked to a Cl- transporter (Cl- is exchange with anion, i.e. HCO3-) so Cl- also enters
What transporter in the PCT is responsible for the regulation of cell volume?
NHE-1, on basolateral side = pumps Na+ into cell and H+ into blood.
If cell is shrinking, it takes up Na+ so water can follow
What is the transport maximum (Tm) of glucose in the kidneys? At what glucose level is this exceeded?
1.25 mmol/min
Exceeded when plasma glucose >10 mmol/L
A diabetic patient with a low GFR and high plasma glucose has a filtered glucose rate of 0.48 mmol/L. Why might their dipstick urinalysis be positive for glucose if this doesnt exceed Tm?
- Have lost functioning nephrons, so the GFR isnt reflective of the single nephron GFR (likely to be higher)
- Low global GFR = build up of uraemic toxins (from urea - as not excreting it) = damage remaining nephrons. Splay increases
What is ‘splay’ and what is it caused by?
Splay is the concentration difference between a substance’s maximum renal reabsorption (i.e. Tm of glucose) vs. appearance (i.e. presence of glucose) in the urine
This is due to variation in the functioning of individual nephrons
How much glucose is produced by the kidney (as a % of body’s production)? Where is it produced?
20% glucose is produced by gluconeogenesis in the cortex, i.e. from lactate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate
How is the kidney’s production of glucose affected by diabetes?
300% increase in gluconeogenesis in the kidneys.
What factors do equations used to estimate GFR based on serum creatinine concentration take into account?
Age, sex, ethnicity
What is GFR? Give the average value
125ml/min; the volume of plasma filtered by the glomerulus per minute