Lecture 1: Renal Function Flashcards
What is the excretion product of
- Proteins
- Nucleic Acids
- Muscle Creatine
- Hemoglobin
- Proteins: Urea
- Nucleic Acids: Uric acid (Purines)
- Muscle Creatine: Creatinine
- Hemoglobin: Urobilin
How do the kidneys regulate BP?
Decreases in renal BP lead to JG cells in the afferent to release renin.
Renin increases peripheral vasoconstriction.
What triggers the release of EPO from the kidneys?
Hypoxia.
Why do diseased kidneys not release EPO?
Hypoxia in the body is not reflected in the kidneys due to the reduced metabolism from diseased tissue. This reduces/inhibits EPO secretion.
Where are the kidneys located?
- Retroperitoneal
- Just below rib cage
What are the 3 major sections of the kidney?
- Renal Cortex
- Renal Medulla
- Renal Pelvis
How does the renal cortex look like histologically?
Spaghetti and meatballs.
Random intertwining of tubules and blood vessels, along with renal corpuscles scattered around.
What does the renal medulla look like histologically?
Bundles of pencils.
Parallel arrangements of tubules and blood vessels.
What are the parts of a nephron?
- Renal corpuscle: Glomerulus + capsule
- Tubules
- Collecting duct (merging of tubule)
- End in the terminal papilla.
What are the differences between a juxtamedullary nephron vs a cortical nephron?
- JM = longer, mainly for URINE concentration.
- Cortical = shorter, only dips a little into medulla.
Cortical nephrons make up 85% of all nephrons.
What part of the nephron corresponds to the macula densa?
Thick ascending limb closest to the capsule.
What part of the loop of Henle does a cortical nephron lack?
No thin ascending limb.
What is a horseshoe kidney and the main concerns associated with it?
- Fusion of kidneys due to failure to separate.
- Results in abnormal blood flow and ureter coursing.
- Also often lower in the ribcage, so it is more vulnerable to trauma.
Cannot move higher than the IME (Inferior mesenteric)
What is the most common complaint associated with a horseshoe kidney?
UTI in children.
What is the most common complication due to a horseshoe kidney?
Ureteropelvic junction obstruction
How is a horseshoe kidney diagnosed?
- CT w/ IV pyelogram
- UA/culture
- Renal function labs
How is a horseshoe kidney treated?
Symptomatic management.
Surgery is not always ideal due to the scar tissue that will form.
How often is our plasma volume filtered daily?
60x, around 180L/d in a healthy male at 125 ml/min for GFR.
What is primarily reabsorbed in the proximal tubule?
- 60% of NaCl and H2O
- 90% of HCO3-
- Glucose, AAs
- Most of K, PO4, Ca, Mg, Urea, and uric acid