Physiology: Tubular Function Flashcards
At what regions of the tubule does reabsorption occur?
All regions
Reabsorption of substances is non-specific/specific?
Filtration of substances is non-specific/specific?
Reabsorption = specific
Filtration = relatively non-specific (substance just needs to be able to bypass filtration barriers)
GFR is ~…?
Plasma is filtered ~ how many times per day?
GFR: ~125 ml/min
Plasma is filtered ~65x per day
Match the following substances with how they are reabsorbed from the filtrate in the kidney:
- Majority reabsorbed
- All reabsorbed
- Partially reabsorbed
- Not reabsorbed
Substances: creatinine, amino acids, urea, glucose, salt, fluid
- Majority reabsorbed: fluid + salt (~99% reabsorbed)
- All reabsorbed: amino acids + glucose (100% reabsorbed)
- Partially reabsorbed: urea (50% reabsorbed)
- Not reabsorbed: creatinine (0% reabsorbed)
Glomerular filtrate is a modified version of plasma. Why is it not identical?
The barriers to filtration prevent rbc’s and large plasma proteins from entering the Bowman’s capsule and contributing to the tubular fluid
What is the rate of flow of the filtrate entering the proximal tubule?
125 ml/min (GFR)
Why does the flow rate decrease by the time the tubular fluid reaches the Loop of Henle?
Because ~80ml/min of the filtrate is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule
What is the flow rate of tubular fluid entering the loop of Henle?
~45ml/min
125-80
What is the osmolarity of the tubular fluid along the proximal tubule?
It remains constant at ~300 mOsmol/L
Why does the osmolarity of tubular fluid not change along the proximal tubule?
Because equal amounts of salt and H2O are reabsorbed, the fluid remains iso-osmotic with the filtrate (~300 mOsmol/L)
List…
- 5 substances which are reabsorbed in the proximal tubule
- 7 substances which are secreted in the proximal tubule
Reabsorbed: sugars, amino acids, phosphate, sulphate, lactate
Secreted: H+, hippurates, neurotransmitters, bile pigments, uric acid, toxins, drugs e.g., penicillin, atropine, morphine
Describe the steps of the transcellular route of reabsorption
- Substance in the filtrate in the tubular lumen crosses the luminal membrane of a cell in the single epithelial cell wall of the nephron
- Substance moves through the epithelial cell and out of the basolateral membrane
- Substance is now in the interstitial fluid
- Substance is reabsorbed into the peritubular capillary/vasa recta
What 2 factors does the paracellular route of reabsorption depend on?
- Transcellular reabsorption (which drives simultaneous paracellular reabsorption of different substances)
- How tight the tight junctions between the adjacent cells of the tubular epithelium wall are (this varies at different segments of the proximal tubule)
Transcellular reabsorption is unique to each substance due to carrier-mediated membrane transport mechanisms. Name 3 types of transport mechanism
- Facilitated diffusion
- Primary active transport
- Secondary active transport
Describe the following mechanisms of carrier-mediated transport:
- Facilitated diffusion
- Primary active transport
- Secondary active transport
- Facilitated diffusion: passive carrier-mediated transport of a substance down its concentration gradient
- Primary active transport: carrier moves the substance across the membrane against its concentration gradient using energy from ATP hydrolysis
- Secondary active transport: the substance is transported coupled to the concentration gradient of an ion (usually Na+)
Na+ reabsorption is driven by…?
The basolateral Na+/K+ ATPase
Describe 3 ways in which Na+ can enter the apical membrane of the tubular epithelium before it exits the basolateral membrane via Na+/K+ ATPase
1) The Na+-dependent glucose transporter
2) The Na+-dependent amino acid transporter
3) The Na+/H+ countertransporter
Trancellular reabsorption of Na+ drives paracellular reabsorption of X and Y due to…?
Cl- and H2O
Cl-: due to the electrochemical gradient
H2O: due to the osmotic gradient (osmosis)
How do Na+ and H2O, now in the interstitial fluid, get pulled into the peritubular capillaries/vasa recta?
By oncotic drag of the peritubular plasma
i.e., water is attracted to the plasma proteins in the blood which pulls H2O and therefore water from the interstitial space into the capillaries
How are glucose and amino acids reabsorbed in the proximal tubule?
- They cross the luminal membrane of the tubular epithelium cell by Na+-dependent transporters
- They leave the basolateral membrane by facilitated diffusion
- Normally, 100% of glucose and amino acids from the filtrate are reabsorbed in the proximal tubule
What is meant by the…
- Transport maximum (Tm)
- Renal threshold
… of a substance?
- Transport maximum (Tm): the maximum rate at which a particular substance can be reabsorbed when all of the transport mechanisms for reabsorption have been saturated
- Renal threshold: the plasma concentration of the substance at its transport maximum, after which the kidneys will begin to excrete it in the urine
What is the renal threshold of glucose?
~10-12 mmol/L
Describe the appearance of a graph relating rates of filtration, reabsorption and excretion of glucose to plasma glucose concentration
- Increasing plasma glucose increases rates of glucose filtration
- Rate of filtration and reabsorption remain equal and rising as 100% of glucose is reabsorbed
- Once the renal threshold is reached at ~10-12 mmol/L, reabsorption levels off while filtration continues to rise
- Rate of excretion begins to rise from 0 at the renal threshold
Why is excess glucose excreted in the urine in diabetes?
Plasma glucose concentration increases above the renal threshold
Transport mechanisms for reabsorption are saturated and so excretion of glucose by the kidneys begins
Tubular secretory mechanisms can also become saturated. T/F?
True e.g., for PAH used to clinically determine renal plasma flow
Clearance of reabsorbed or secreted substances is constant once the transport maximum is reached. T/F?
False
Clearance is not constant. It continues to rise as plasma conc. rises
What proportion of.. - Salt - Water - Glucose - Amino acids ... are reabsorbed in the proximal tubule (not the entire length of the tubule)?
Salt + water: ~67% (2/3rds)
Glucose + amino acids: 100%
What is the function of the Loop of Henle?
To work together with the vasa recta to generate a cortico-medullary solute concentration gradient
What is meant by the cortico-medullary solute concentration gradient?
The progressively increasing osmolarity of the interstitial fluid surrounding the nephron as we move from the cortex and down into the medulla
What feature of the Loop of Henle sets up the cortico-medullary concentration gradient?
The ascending and descending limbs have differing permeabilities to salt and water
Describe the permeability of the…
- Descending limb
- Ascending limb
… of the Loop of Henle to salt and water
- Descending limb: no NaCl reabsorption, highly permeable to water so reabsorbed
- Ascending limb: Na+ and Cl- are reabsorbed, relatively impermeable to water so little or no reabsorption
How are Na+ and Cl- reabsorbed in the ascending limb of the Loop of Henle?
The Na+/K+/Cl- triple transporter takes them from the tubular lumen and across the luminal membrane of the tubular epithelium cell
They exit the basolateral membrane via the…
- Na+/K+ ATPase
- K+/Cl- co-transporter
(K+ is recycled across the same membrane it is absorbed so there is no net change in conc.)
How does this Na+ and Cl- reabsorption affect the osmolarity of the…
- Tubular fluid in the ascending limb
- Interstitial fluid
…?
- Tubular fluid in the ascending limb: becomes more diluted (as it is losing salt)
- Interstitial fluid: becomes more concentrated (as it is gaining salt)
As the interstitial fluid has become more concentrated, how does this affect filtrate being pumped down the descending limb?
Passive water efflux occurs as the filtrate moves down the descending limb
This means the filtrate becomes more concentrated as it moves down the descending limb
Summarise the concentrations of the tubular fluid and interstitial fluid throughout the loop of Henle
- Tubular fluid becomes progressively more concentrated as it moves down the descending limb and loses H2O
- Tubular fluid becomes progressively more dilute as it moves up the ascending limb and loses salt (NaCl)
- The interstitial fluid has a vertical gradient, becoming more concentrated as you move deeper into the medulla and further from the cortex
What is meant by countercurrent multiplication?
The cortico-medullary concentration gradient which is formed by the movement of NaCl and H2O through the different segments of the loop of Henle
What is the function of the countercurrent multiplication system?
To concentrate the medullary interstitial fluid, enabling the kidneys to produce urine of different volume and concentration according to hydration status/ADH levels
What are the... - Average - Lowest range - Highest range ... values for rate of urine excretion (Vu)?
Average: ~1 ml/min
Low e.g., in dehydration: 0.3 ml/min
High e.g., in over-hydration: 25 ml/min
What does the value of osmolality range from from the start of the descending limb to the end of the descending limb?
300 -> 1,200 mOsmol/L
Tubular fluid in the descending limb is hyper-/iso-/hypo- osmotic?
Iso-osmotic (as it has the same osmolarity as the tubular fluid)
Tubular fluid in the ascending limb is hyper-/iso-/hypo- osmotic?
Hypo-osmotic (as it has a lower osmolality than the interstitial fluid)
What does the value of osmolality range from from the bottom of the ascending limb to the top of the ascending limb?
1,000 -> 100 mOsmol/L