Potassium Disorders Flashcards
Potassium DiBartola
Is potassium the major intrscellular or extracellular cation?
intracellular
What percentage of total body potassium is located within cells
Asmuch as 95% ormore of total
body potassium is located within cells,
What is the most important role of potassium in the body?
Generation of resting membrane potentials
The Resting Membrane Potential
What maintains normal ECF and ICF potassium concs
Na+/K+ Atpase
Sodium out –. Potassium in
3Na:2K
What is the major determinant of the resting membrane potential?
The ratio of intracellular to extracellular potassium
Sodium out, potassium in by then Na/K ATPASE
But then potassium diffuses out along it’s conc gradient (very diffusible) until electrical gradient makes it stop diffusing. This sets the RMP
When is the threshold potential reached?
when
sodium permeability increases to the point that sodium
entry exceeds potassium exit, depolarization becomes
self-perpetuating, and an action potential develops.
The excitability of a
tissue is determined by the difference between the resting
and threshold potentials (the smaller the difference, the
greater the excitability).
How does hypokalaemia effect the RMP
makes it more negative - hyperpolarising the cell
How does hyperkalaemia effect the RMP
Makes it less negative - initially makes cells easier to excite
What effect does calcium have on the action potential?
Hypocalcaemia - lowers threshold potential
Hypercalcaemia - increases threshold potential
Potassium Balance
How does potassium enter the animal
All ingested - passively absorbed in the stomach and actively absorbed in the colon (may also be excreted by colon)
How much potassium is excreted by the kidneys
90-95%
How is an acute potassium load handled?
1/2-2/3rds excreted by the kidneys in 4-6hrs
In the mean time it is shifted intracellularly. by endogenous insulin release and B2 agonism from epi
Acid-Base on Potassium
How does acid base status affect K+
Mineral acidosis causes increase in potass as H+ moves intracellularly
Alkalosis causes decrease
However amount of potassium movement is very variable
Renal Handling of Potassium
What percentages of potassium are resorbed at what portion of the kidney?
70% with water and sodium in the proximal
tubule. An additional 10% to 20% of filtered potassium
is reabsorbed in the ascending limb of Henle’s loop.
Finally, 10% to 20% of the filtered load is delivered to the distal nephron, where final adjustments are made
What portion of the kidney is responsible for net potassium movement?
Distal tubules, cortical and medullar collecting duct.
How is potassium absorbed in the proximal tubule
at the start: lumen negative, nil active transport, is absorbed via solvent drag (?) paracellularly
Water resorption overcomes the electrical gradient and causes potassium movement
At the end: lumen pos - absorbed down an electrochemical gradient
How absorbed in thick ascending loop of henle?
lumen strongly pos - paracellular and cellular