Physiology of the Kidney Flashcards
The function of the kidney is to maintain…
- Isovolemia
- Isoionia
- Isosmosis
- Isohydria
How does the kidney control isohydria?
By elimination of H+ ions
List the functions of the kidney
- Homeostasis
- Conservation of essential substances
- Acid-base balance
- Cardiovascular regulation
- Exogenous and endogenous component elimination
- Hormone production
- Direct
- Indirect
List the anatomical features of the bovine kidney
- No renal pelvis
- Lobular surface
- Pyramids lead to calyxes
- Calyx leads directly to the ureter
The adipose tissue around the renal sinus functions as a…
Shock-absorber
What is the functional unit of the kidney?
The nephron
Give the elements of the nephron
- Malpighi body
- Tubular system
How many nephrons are found in each kidney?
1,000,000
What are the 4 basic functions of the nephron?
- Filtration
- Reabsorption
- Secretion
- Excretion
What % of cardiac output does the kidney receive?
20-25%
What % of plasma is filtered into the renal tubules?
20%
What is the renal filtration rate? excl. bovine
- 125 ml/min
- 180 l/day
What is the urinary output rate?
1.5 l/day
Why is the renal filtration rate higher than the urinary output rate?
Fluid is reabsorbed from the tubules
What isn’t filtered by the kidney?
Protein
What is the bovine renal filtration rate?
486 l/day
List the sections of the tubulary system
- Proximal tubule
- Henle loop
- Distal tubule
- Collecting tubule
Sections of the proximal tubule
- Proximal convoluted tubule
- Proximal straight tubule
Sections of the Henle loop
- Descending thin limb
- Ascending thin limb
- Thick ascending limb
Sections of the distal tubule
- Distal convoluted tubule
- Distal connective tubule
Sections of the collecting duct
- Cortical collecting duct
- Medullary collecting duct
Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
Proximal Straight Tubule (PST)
Descending Thin Limb (DTL)
Distal connective tubule (CNT)
Distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
Thick ascending limb (TAL)
Ascending thin limb (ATL)
Cortical collecting duct (CCD)
Medullary collecting duct (MCD)
What % of nephrons are juxtamedullary?
15%
What % of nephrons are cortical?
85%
Urine is formed as a result of which processes?
- Simple filtration
- Selective/Passive reabsorption
- Excretion
The layers of the filtration barrier
- Fenestrated endothelium
- Glomerular basement membrane (GBM )
- Slit diaphragms
The filtration barrier selectively restricts passage to molecules of certain…
- Size
- Shape
- Charge
What is the relative difference in filtration dependent on the charge
negative < neutral < positive
List the molecular components of the GBM
- Collagen
- Laminin
- Nidogen
- Proteoglycans
How are the molecular components of GBM arranged?
- Collagen and Laminin form two independent networks
- Nidogen links these networks
- Adhesion of collagen and laminin to podocytes and endothelial cells
Collagen
Laminin
Proteoglycan: Anionic filtration barrier
Nidogen
Adhesion to podocytes
Adhesion to endothelial cells
The GBM acts as a barrier to…
Large plasma proteins
- Pedicules of the podocytes
- Contains slit diaphragm
The slit diaphragm has a … structure
Zipper-like
The pores of the slit diaphragm are slightly smaller than…
Albumin
Where is the slit diaphragm located?
Between the foot processes of the podocytes
What indicates that the slit diaphragm is partially elastic?
Slit area can increase with increased intraglomerular pressure
Monoclonal antibodies have been used against
Glomerular proteins
(Exclusive to the slit diaphragm)
Glomerular proteins were identified with which model?
Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome (NPHS1) model
Leading to heavy proteinuria
Symptoms of massive proteinuria
- Persistent oedema
- Recurrent infections
By in situ hybridisation, NPHS1 gene product (protein) was shown in the kidney to be expressed specifically in…
Podocytes
NPHS1 gene codes to produce which protein?
Nephrin
Nephrin is a variety of…
Immunoglobulin
List the extracellular structural features of nephrin
- 8 x Ig-like modules (C2)
- 1 x Fibronectin (type-3-like) module
The type C2 Ig-like modules are usually found in proteins participating in…
Cell-cell interactions
Which significant feature(s) can be found in the intracellular region of nephrin?
9 x tyrosine residues
Used for ligand binding
Location of the C- and N-terminus of nephrin
C-terminus: Intracellularly
N-terminus: Extracellularly
Capillaries which are under high pressure for filtering
Non-real capillaries
Capillaries found around the tubule at low pressure
Real capillaries
Glomerulus
Peritubular capillary
Cortical nephron
Juxta Medullary Nephron
Peritubular capillary
Vas aferent
Vas efferent
Venules, v. renalis
Vasa Recta
The function of Vasa Recta
- Enters renal medulla
- Henle’s loop
- Countercurrent exchange
- Concentration of urine
Length of Vasa Recta
40mm
Sympathetic innervation of the kidney
- Runs to α-adrenergic receptors (on v. afferent)
- Leads to vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole
- GFR reduced
- Rest: minimum AP
- Physical activity: Intensive AP
Parasympathetic innervation of the kidney
Cholinergic-mediated reaction
(Function not understood)
The function of pain-sensing fibres in the capsule
Sense of capsule stretching
The oldest examination method of renal function
Analysis of urine and plasma
List the methods of kidney examination
- Tubule puncture
- Clearance technique
- X-ray
- Scinthgraphy
- Ultrasound
Tubule puncture
Examination of the fluid composition
(Kidney structure is too fine to examine histologically)
Steps of the micropuncture method
- Using a fine glass capillary
- Retrieval of samples from different sections of the tubules
- Examination of samples under a microscope
Steps of Scintigraphy
- Labelled substance (isotope) administered intravenously
- Isotope appears in the kidney, reaching a maximum conc.
- This is detected with a detector on the body surface
Ultrasound examination of the kidney can be used to show
- Anatomical details
- Blood supply
Steps of the clearance method for kidney function
- Measures volume of plasma which all test substances have been removed from
- Shows the ability of the kidney to remove substances from the blood plasma
The equation to calculate clearance
(U x V)/P = Clearance ml/min
- U= Conc. in urine*
- P= Conc. in plasma*
- V= Produced urine (per minute)*
What are the varieties of renal clearances?
- Glucose
- Inulin
- PAH
If 250 ml plasma passes into the kidney, and the flow rate is 125 ml/min…
125ml/min couldn’t be filtered
Therefore: Clearance = 125 ml/min
Clearance is independent to…
Plasma concentration
Unit for substances excreted by the clearance method
ml/min
As well as the clearance value, clearance of substances can be used to determine…
- Functional standards of the kidney
- Quantitative values of functional disorders
Clearance of certain selected substances which are not reabsorbed nor secreted is equal to…
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
Clearance of certain selected substances which are entirely secreted is equal to…
Renal plasma flow (RPF)
If (a substance’s clearance value) Cx > Cinulin
Secretion
If (a substance’s clearance value) Cx < Cinulin
Reabsorption
What is the clearance value of glucose?
0 ml/min
(Totally reabsorbed)
Clearance of para-amino-hippuric acid (PAH) is….
Constant at low plasma concentration
At high concentrations of PAH…
The secretory capacity of renal tubules decreases
The point where excretion doesn’t grow with secretion
Transport maximum
Name a substance which is only filtered
(Not reabsorbed/secreted)
Inulin
The conc. of inulin in the plasma doesn’t influence…
Inulin’s clearance
Even under extremely high values
Describe the path of urea in the kidney
- Freely filtered
- Passively moves along tubules
- A portion remains in the interstitium
- Clearance of urea is always smaller than that of inulin
Transport of urea during tubular cell diseases
- Urea recirculation damaged
- Urea conc. increases in blood
- Uraemia
Describe the path of glucose in the kidney
- Filtered freely
- Doesn’t reach descending limb of Henle’s loop
- Entirely reabsorbed in the proximal tubule
- Normally: clearance of glucose is 0
Describe the effect of diabetes on the kidney
- Glucose plasma so high
- Tubular cells unable to reabsorb it
- Transfer maximum (Tmgluclose) is therefore reached
- Glucose appears in the urine
TmPAH
Cinulin
Curea
Cglucose
Tmglucose
Which processes are occurring?
Filtration + Resorption
Which processes are occurring?
Filtration + Redfiffusion
Which processes are occurring?
Filtration only
Filtration + Secretion
The formula to calculate extraction
E = (Pa - Pv)/Pa
- Pa = arterial conc. of substance*
- Pv = venous concrentration of substance*
Extraction
The ability of the kidney to eliminate a substance from the organism
In extraction, the value of ‘E’ is where no substance reaches the venous side
E=1
In extraction, the value of ‘E’ is where no substance reaches the urine
E=0
Clearance/Extraction=
RPF
What can be used to determine the RPF
Clearance of a substance that is:
- Filtered
- Excreted
So that none remains in the outgoing renal vein
A substance which is filtered and secreted…
PAH
Completely cleared (E=1)
Clearance of PAH =
RPF
Give the distributions of blood flow in the tissue layers of the kidney
- Cortex = 90%
- Outer medulla = 8-9%
- Inner medulla = 1-2%
GFR
Glomerular filtration rate
Amount of filtrate produced per unit time
Constant GFR is maintained at an arterial pressure of…
under 80-250mmHg
GFR can be measured by…
Inulin and Creatine
Average GFR value
120 ml/min
Filtered load/Filtered capacity
Mass of substance that is ultrafiltered per unit time
mg/min
If a non-reabsorbing, non-secreting substance is used, it’s GFR value =
Clearance value
GFR = (UxV)/P
Substance such as Inulin
Cinulin values amongst the species
- Human = 120
- Cow = 75
- Pig = 70
- Horse = 60
- Dog = 50
Creatinine
Physiological by-product of muscle metabolism
If Cinulin = Ccreatinine
GFR = …
Ccreatinine
Which is normally higher:
- Cinulin
- Ccreat.
Ccreat.
Effect on GFR by: Changes in RBF
No substantial influence
Effect on GFR by: Glomerular pressure (GP)
Change in GFR similar to GP change
Effect on GFR by: Capsular pressure (CP) increase
Reduce GFR
Effect on GFR by: Increase of Glomerular colloid osmotic pressure (GCP)
Decrease of GFR
Effect on GFR by: Glomerular membrane permeability
Decrease GFR
Effect on GFR by: Reduced total filtration surface (nephrectomy)
Decreased GFR
Capillary wall
Capillary fenestrations
Basement membrane