ECF Volume Regulation Flashcards
What is the most important aspect of the ECF regulated by the kidney?
Its volume
Why are body fluids in osmotic equilibrium?
Since H2O can move freely across all cell membranes
What is the distribution of total body water between cells and ECF determined by?
The number of osmotically active particles in each compartment
What are major ECF osmoles?
Na+ and Cl-
What are the major ICF osmoles?
K+ salts
What will regulation of Na+ indirectly regulate?
ECF
What is the distribution of body water?
Plasma 3L
Interstitial fluid 11L
ICF 28L
Plasma + interstitial fluid = ECF = 14L
ECF = 1/3 ICF = 2/3
What percentage of total body water do the ECF and ICF constitute?
60%
42L
What will changes in the Na+ content of the ECF cause?
Changes in ECF volume and therefore affect the volume of blood perfusing the tissues, circulating volume and blood pressure
What is regulation of Na+ basically dependent on?
High and low pressure baroreceptors
What is the renal response to a decrease in ECF volume? (hypovolaemia)
Increased salt and water loss (isotonic fluid loss) e.g. vomiting, sweating
Reduced
- plasma volume
- venous pressure
- venous return
- atrial pressure
- end-diastolic volume
- stroke volume
- cardiac output
- blood pressure
- carotid sinus baroreceptor inhibition of sympathetic discharge
Increased
- sympathetic discharge
- systemic vasoconstriction
- total peripheral resistance and blood pressure towards normal
What does increased sympathetic discharge cause?
Increased renal vasoconstriction and nerve activity
Increased renal arteriolar constriction and increase in renin
What does increased renin result in?
Increased angiotensin II concentrations, decreased peritubular capillary hydrostatic pressure
Increased angiotensin II -> increased aldosterone -> increased distal tubule Na+ reabsorption and less Na+ excreted
What does decreased peritubular capillary hydrostatic pressure cause?
Increased Na+ reabsorption from the proximal tubule, less Na+ excreted
What are changes in proximal tubule Na+ reabsorption due to?
Changes in the rate of uptake by the peritubular capillaries, determined by IIp
What is increase in Na+ reabsorption due to?
Greater reabsorptive forces in the peritubular capillaries
When will Na+ reabsorption increase?
If NaCl and H2O have been lost, as onco-osmotic pressure will be increased more than normal, so up to 75% of the filtrate at the proximal tubule can be reabsorbed
What is the reabsorptive range in the proximal tubule in volume excess and volume deficit?
65% in volume excess
75% in volume deficit
How much filtrate can be reabsorbed in hypovolaemia compared to normovalaemia?
75% in hypovolaemia
70% in normovolaemia
Why are plasma proteins diluted in hypervolaemia?
Ppc is greater than usual
Efferent arteriole is less constricted
Tlp is less than normal
The vasoconstriction of afferent and efferent arterioles has little effect on GFR until what point?
Until the volume depletion is severe enough to cause a considerable drop in mean blood pressure
What does the constriction of afferent arterioles due to sympathetic vasoconstriction, coupled with angiotensin II mediated constriction of the efferent arterioles maintain?
GFR
Regulation of distal tubule Na+ reabsorption is under the control of what?
The adrenal cortical steroid hormone aldosterone - this is very important in the long-term regulation of Na+ and ECF volume
What is aldosterone secretion controlled by?
Reflexes involving the kidneys themselves
Where is the smooth muscle of the media of the afferent arterioles specialised?
Just before they enter the glomerulus - contain large epithelial cells with lots of granules
How does the specialised smooth muscle of the media of the afferent arterioles work?
Works in conjunction with a histologically specialised loop of the distal tubule - the macula densa
The two together form the juxtaglomerular apparatus which acts as a sensor in the glomerulus and is involved in regulation of sodium and water reabsorption
What do juxtaglomerular cells produce?
Renin - a proteolytic enzyme (converts and activates other enzymes/hormones)
What does renin act on?
Angiotensin - a large protein in the alpha 2 globulin fraction of the plasma proteins
How does renin work?
Renin splits off the decapeptide angiotensin I (in the plasma) which is then converted by enzymes in the endothelium to the active octapeptide angiotensin II
What is the enzyme responsible for converting angiotensin I to angiotensin II?
Angiotensin converting enzyme
Where is angiotensin converting enzyme found?
Throughout the vascular endothelium
Where does the greatest proportion of conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II occur?
As the blood passes through the pulmonary circuit
What does angiotensin II stimulate?
The aldosterone-secreting cells in the zone glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex
What does aldosterone stimulate in the kidney?
Distal tubular Na+ reabsorption
What is the rate-limiting step determining the amount of angiotensin II?
The release of renin, since angiotensin is always present in the plasma
When is there increased renin release?
When pressure in the afferent arterioles at the level of the juxtaglomerular cells decreases
How do juxtaglomerular cells act as renal baroreceptors?
Less distension causes an increase in secretion of renin, this is an extrinsic property which works without innervation
Increased sympathetic nerve activity can cause increased renin release via what?
Beta 1 adrenergic receptors
The rate of renin secretion is inversely proportional to what?
To the rate of delivery of NaCl at the macula densa
Decreased NaCl delivery causes increased renin secretion
What does angiotensin II feedback do?
Inhibits renin
Does ADH inhibit or stimulate renin release?
Inhibit
What provides the mechanism for controlling input and output of the tubules, and the basis of the tubuloglomerular balance?
The close relationship between the afferent arterioles, juxtaglomerular cells and macula densa
What effect do loop diuretics have on the kidneys?
They can cause K+ ion wasting
Act on the Na+ K+ 2Cl- symporter (co-transporter) in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle to inhibit sodium, chloride and potassium reabsorption
This is achieved by competing for the Cl- binding site
What is water regulation controlled by?
ADH (vasopressin)
What is ADH?
Posterior pituitary hormone
The cardinal hormone for water regulation, when present, water is reabsorbed