Renal Flashcards
Define Renal Plasma Clearance (RPC).
The amount of blood per unit time in which a substance is completely filtered out by the kidneys.
In relation to net secretion/absorption, what does a high RPC tell you? A low RPC?
High RPC - There is net secretion of FILTRATE occuring in the distal tubule.
Low RPC - There is net reabsorption of FILTRATE occurring in the distal tubule.
Define End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Kidney function so low that it cannot sustain life. Dialysis or transplant is needed for survival.
___% of the population has Chronic Kidney Disease.
14 % (1 in 7 people)
CKD has a high prevalence, incidence, and mortality.
The incidence of Kidney Disease increases with ___.
age.
What are common risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease? (6)
Diabetes Obesity Tobacco Age Heart Problems/Stroke Hypertension
____ racial group is most affected by Chronic Kidney
Black/African American
What is the functional unit of the Kidney?
The Nephron
What are two major hormones released by the kidney? What do they do?
EPO - Stimulates the production of RBC’s during hypoxia
Alpha 1 Hydroxylase - Activates Vitamin D to increase serum calcium levels during hypocalcemic states.
What two factors determine blood flow through the kidneys? (think about THE equation…)
Pressure and Resistance
F = (P1-P2) / R
What are the main sites of resistance to blood flow in the nephron?
Afferent and efferent arterioles
What molecules have an easier time being filtered at the glomerulus? What molecules have a harder time?
Easier - Small (<5000 Da) and positively charged/polar
Harder - Large, negatively charged, protein bound
Why is it easier for positively charged molecules to be filtered at the glomerulus than negatively charged molecules?
Because the visceral pleura has a negatively coated charge. (double check this)
Why does Net Filtration Pressure (NFP) decrease as you move toward the efferent capillary?
Since small solutes (water, salt) pass through bowman’s capsule while proteins cannot. The oncotic pressure is increased as you move from afferent to efferent arteriole. Since oncotic pressure is a reabsorptive force, increasing it will cause less filtration.
Kidneys can regulate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) independently of renal blood flow (RBF). Why?
Because the kidneys can utilize the efferent and afferent arterioles to modulate the Pressure of the glomerular capillary (PGC) and therefore the GFR.
What are the 2 mechanism for renal auto-regulation? Describe them.
- Arteriolar Myogenic Mechanism - Arteriolar smooth muscle senses increased stretch of afferent arteriole (from high blood volume) and vasoconstricts leading to increased resistance, decreased flow, and stable GFR.
- Tubuloglomerular Feedback - When the Macula Densa senses a high sodium concentration it causes vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole.
How does tubuloglomerular Feedback work specifically?
Sodium from filtrate is transported into the macula densa via sodium transporter. Sodium then leaves the cell through an ATPase pump. ATP is broken down (releasing Adenosine) to activate this pump. Adenosine binds the A1 receptor on smooth muscle of afferent arteriole causing vasoconstriction.
In what part of the nephron does the most reabsorption occur?
The proximal convoluted tubule.
HUGE reabsorption of: Na, Cl, K, HCO3, & water
What is the normal osmolality of the blood?
Knowing this, at what part of the kidney tubular system does iso-osmotic filtration//reabsorption occur?
300 mOsm/L
Iso-osmotic Filtration = Bowman’s Capsule
Iso-osmotic Reabsorption = Proximal Convoluted Tubule
At what part(s) of the kidney tubular system does REGULATED secretion/reabsorption occur?
The Collecting Duct
Tight junctions are more “leaky” in the _________ portion of the nephron. Why?
Proximal Convoluted Tubule.
Because this is where a lot reabsorption occurs.
In Tubular Epithelial Cells the membrane facing the tubule lumen is the _____ membrane. The membrane facing the interstitial space/capillary is the _____ membrane.
Apical Membrane
Basolateral Membrane
What does it mean that the tubular epithelial cells are “polarized?”
That there are different types of transporter channels on each side (apical, basolateral) of the cell. This is critical to their normal functioning.
Describe the difference between Paracellular Transport and Transcellular Transport.
Paracellular - Solute goes through the tight junction between cells to travel down its ELECTROCHEMICAL gradient (always passive).
Transcellular - Solute actually goes through the cell itself
Describe Gradient Limited Tubular Reabsorption.
Large movement of solute paracellularly from lumen to interstitium. This causes some solute to move back into lumen further down the tubule because of lower concentration gradient in the lumen. Therefore reabsorption is limited by the gradient.
Describe Tubular Maximum-Limited Reabsorption.
Tight junctions are very tight so solute must move through a transporter. Since transporter can only move a given number of solute through the cell (transcellular) the reabsorption is limited by the transporter (Tmax).
Define:
Osmole
Osmolarity
Osmolality
Osmole - # of moles of free solute particles in solution
Osmolarity - Number of osmoles of solute per L solution
Osmolality - Number of osmoles of solute per kg solvent
osmolarity and osmolalilty are used interchangeably.
How does fat affect total body water?
Total body water is decreased by fat.
What is Inulin? What can it tell us and how?
Inulin is a plant polysaccharide.
It can tell us the GFR.
This is because inulin is freely filtered, not secreted, and not reabsorbed.
What is the closest thing to inulin that is used to measure GFR in humans?
Creatinine. It is only slightly secreted (10%).
What is the normal blood plasma concentration range for creatinine?
0.7 - 1.3 mg/dL
Describe the 3 biometric equations used to obtain a GFR from creatinine concentrations. Which is most comprehensive?
- Cockroft Gault - Indicated for drug dosing.
- Modified Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) - Measures GFR in kidney disease patients.
- Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) - most comprehensive.