Kidneys Flashcards
What type of genetic disease is Liddle’s syndrome?
Autosomal dominant
What are the primary symptoms of Liddle’s Syndrome?
Sodium retention and fluid retention
What are the secondary symptoms of Liddle’s syndrome?
Hypokalaemia, metabolic acidosis, low renin and aldosterone in a compensation attempt
What are the subunits of an epithelial sodium channel (ENAC) and the ratio?
Alpha, beta, gamma in ration 1:1:1
What are the three channels on the apical membrane of the principal cell and what are their roles?
ENaC causes Na to be reabsorbed
RomK causes potassium to leave the cell
Aquaporin 2 causes water to move into the cell
What are the three channels on the basolateral membrane of the principal cells and what are their roles?
Sodium potassium ATPase - set up concentration gradient of sodium
Kir2.3 - causes potassium to leave the cell for the negative membrane potential
Aquaporin 3 and 4 - causes water to leave the cell
What is the mutation in ENaC that causes Liddle’s?
mutations in the COOH tail of the Bete or Gamma sununits. Deletion of the proline rich motifs which are key for endocytosis
What is the effect of the mutation in ENaC in Liddle’s?
It is not pulled out the cell properly when it should be so endocytosis is disrupted. This is because the protein can not be tagged with ubiquitin
How can it be shown experimentally that this mutation in ENaC could cause Liddle’s syndrome?
Injection of complementary RNA into xenopus oocyte. Shows that the current in the WT is 3 microamps but in the mutated version it is 6. The channels are removed very slowly
What causes hypertension in Liddle’s?
Excess sodium and water reabsortpion
What causes hypokaleamia in Liddle’s?
More sodium uptake cause more potassium to be secreted on the apical membrane and is excreted into the urine
How does Liddle’s cause metabolic alkalosis?
Recording electrodes show that epithelial cells have a negative membrane potential
The negative charge is a driving for H+ excretion. As more sodium is reabsorbed there is an increase in the negative membrane potential so H+ secretion increases
Normally, what happens when there is low aldosterone and renin in a person?
Low levels of aldosterone causes ENaC to be pulled away from the apical membrane of the principal cells. This decreases sodium reabsorption, increases urine flow rate and lowers blood pressure
What is the risk of hypertenstion in a Liddle’s syndrome patient?
Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
Which drug can be used to treat the high blood pressure in Liddle’s syndrome and how does it work?
Amiloride
It works by blocking ENaC so sodium reabsorption is lower
For a child a blood pressure of 121/67 is very high - true or false?
True
Why is spinolactone not effective in trating Liddle’s syndrome?
It is a mineralcorticoid receptor antagonist but has no effect as the receptors for aldosterone are not being activated anyway. Normally this can be used to treat high blood pressure
Vasopressin causes what on the apical membrane of principal cells?
Binding of vasopressin causes cAMP to be activated, which causes Pka to be activated, causing the shuttling of Aquaporin 2 vesicles onto the apical membrane. This results in increase water reabsorption
Diabetes insipidus is generally categorised as a problem with what?
The vasopressin - aquaporin 2 system
What are the 4 types of diabetes insipidus?
Primary polydypsia, gestational, central and nephrogenic
What is primary polydypsia?
Not an actual condition, polydypsia caused by excessive drinking
What is gestational diabetes insipidus?
Can be seen in some pregnant women, the placenta produces enzymes which break down vasopressin so urine flow rate increases causing polydypsia. Will return back to normal after pregnancy
What is central diabetes insipidus?
Impaired vasopressin production, can be acquired or congenital
What is nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?
Impaired effect of vasopressin at the level of the kidney, can be aquired or congenital
What are common causes of central diabetes insipidus?
Acquired: Infection, head trauma, surgery
Congenital: Neurohypophyseal D1, mutations in the vasopressin gene (67 types)
Mutations in vasopressin often affect what?
Transport of vasopressin from the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary. The ability to traffic the vasopressin which is made down the pituitary stalk properly
What are some possible causes of aquired nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?
Lithium (taken for bipolar disorder), some antibiotics, antifungals and chemotherapy. hypokalaemia and hypercalcuria, and acute and chronic kidney failure
What are some possible causes of congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?
Mutation in vasopressin receptor (more common) or aquaporin 2 genes
The AVPR2 gene (vasopressin receptor) is X linked
AQP2 gene mutation impact on trafficking and function
What are the first symptoms of congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus in children?
Hypernatrimic dehydration (Increased urine flow rate), Poor feeding, skin dryness and depressed anterior fontanel (dip in front of forehead)
What can be used to treat central DI?
Vasopressin can be replaced with desmopressin via a nasal spray at regular intervals
What can be used to treat nephrogenic DI?
more difficult to treat Modulator drugs can be used when proteins are misfolded but are still functional to prevent degredatio Pharmacological chaperones Cell permeable receptor agonists cGMP and cAMP pathway agonists Statins Prostaglandins
What can pass through the glomerulus?
Water and small molecules (not blood cells and proteins)
Small molecular weight proteins in urine indicates a problem with what?
The proximal tubule
Large molecular weight proteins in urine indicate a problem with what?
The glomerulus
How many litres are filtered a day?
180 litres
20% of plasma in the capillary bed moves to where?
The bowman’s capsule
What are the three components of the filtration barrier
Endothelial cells
Basement membrane
Epithelial cells
What are the properties of endothelial cells?
Make up the wall of the capillary Have gaps for solutes and ions to move through called fenestrations Flat cells Large nuclei Stop RBCs and proteins moving through
What makes up the epithelial layer?
Podocytes
What is the basement membrane?
Main barrier
Made up of glycoproteins - collagen, laminin and fibronectin
Filtration based on molecular shape, size and charge
What are trabeculae?
Extensions from the cell body
These have pedicels - finger like projections which interdiginate (they do not fully cross over so leave gaps)
What is the role of podocytes?
Maintenance and phagocytosis
What properties can determine filtration?
Molecular size, shape and charge
What happens when the F/P ratio is 1?
The concentration of the molecule in the filtrate = the concentration of the molecule in the bowmans capsule (plasma concentration)
What happens of the F/P ratio is 0?
No filtration occurs
What is dextran?
Chains of glucose which can be made bigger
If dextran is uncharged what happens?
It passes through the barrier more easily
What is the filtration co-efficient?
Kf
GFR is proportional to what?
Forces favouring - forces opposing OR (Pcap + IIBC) - (Pbc + IIcap) P = hydrostatic pressure II = oncotic pressure cap = capillary BC = bowmann's capsule
What is oncotic pressure determined by?
Protein concentration - more protein = higher oncotic pressure
What is IIbc normally and why?
0 because no protein is in the bowman’s capsule
What is Pcap usually?
60mmHg - decreases slightly down the capillary as some volume is lost
What is IIcap normally?
30mmHg - Changes down the capillary (increases) as fluid is lost but protein concentration remains the same so there is an increase in oncotic pressure
What is Pbc normally?
20mmHg - stays the same as there is constant flow to the proximal tubule
What is net filtration pressure?
10mmHg
What is unique about the glomerulus net filtration pressure?
It always stays positive - fluid never moves in
What is the glomerulus filtration rate?
125ml/min