Renal Function Flashcards
How many mL/min of blood flows through the capillaries in the glomerulus to be filtered?
1200-1500
Primary functions of the Kidneys (3)
- Filtration
- Secretion
- Reabsorption
Functions of the Kidneys (8)
- Controls Fluid Balance
- Regulates electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium)
- Prevents acid build up
- Eliminates waste products
- Produces urine
- Regulates blood pressure
- Produces Calcitriol (increases intestinal reabsorption of calcium)
- Manufactures erythropoietin (a hormone that stimulates RBC production)
Kidney Anatomy (10)
- Renal Artery
- Renal Vein
- Renal Pelvis
- Capsule
- Cortex
- Medulla
- Minor Calyx
- Major Calyx
- Ureter
- Nephron
Renal Artery
Carries blood from the aorta to the kidney
Renal Vein
carries filtered blood from the kidney to the inferior vena cava
Renal Pelvis
funnel shaped duct that collects urine from the calyces
Capsule
protective outer layer
Cortex
inner layer, contains nephrons
Medulla
Middle layer, contains renal pyramids
Minor Calyx
collects the urine from renal pyramid and drains into a major calyx
Major Calyx
branches off renal pelvis that collect urine
Ureter
carriers urine to the bladder
Nephron
functional unit of the kidney
Functions of the Nephron (3)
- Filters blood and produces urine in the process of removing waste and excess substances from the blood
- Concentrates the urine
- Maintains pH and electrolyte balance
How many nephrons are there per kidney?
1-1.5 million
What are the two types of nephrons
- Cortical Nephrons (85%)
- Juxtamedullary (15%)
Cortical Nephrons
*Located primarily in the cortex
*Responsible for the removal of waste and reabsorption of nutrients
Juxtamedullary Nephrons
*Have very long loops of Henle that extend deep into the medulla
*Responsible for concentrating the urine
Nephron Anatomy (10)
- Glomerulus
- Bowman’s Capsule
- Juxtaglomerular apparatus
- Afferent arteriole
- Efferent arteriole
- Peritubular capillaries
- Proximal Convoluted Tubule
- Distal Convoluted Tubule
- Loop of Henle
- Collecting Duct
Glomerulus
a tiny ball-shaped structure composed of 8 capillary blood vessels (lobes)
major site of blood filtration
Bowman’s Capsule
structure surrounding the glomerulus
Juxtaglomerular apparatus
specialized structure responsible for regulating blood pressure and the filtration rate of the glomerulus
Afferent Arteriole
supplies blood to the glomerulus
(smaller arteriole)
Efferent Arteriole
Takes blood away from the glomerulus
(larger arteriole)
Peritubular Capillaries
surround the PCT and DCT
Responsible for reabsorbing essential nutrients from the filtrate
PCT
duct that lies between Bowman’s capsule and the loop of henle
Allows for the reabsorption of glucose, sodium, chloride, and water from the glomerular filtrate
DCT
duct that lies between the loop of Henle and the collecting ducts
Responsible for the final adjustments to urine composition
Loop of Henle
U-shaped duct between the proximal and distal convoluted tubules
Functions in water reabsorption
Collecting ducts
long duct that receives urine from several nephrons and discharges it into the pelvis of the kidney
Responsible for the final concentration of urine through the reabsorption of water
What is total renal blood flow?
The volume of blood (plasma and cells) delivered to the kidneys per unit of time
approx. 1200 mL/min
What is total renal plasma flow?
The volume of plasma delivered to the kidneys per unit of time
approx. 600-700 mL/min
What 3 cellular layers does filtrate pass through?
- Capillary wall membrane - contains small pores that increase permeability
- Basement membrane
- Visceral Epithelium of Bowman’s Capsule - a network of podocytes restricts the passage of large molecules
Filtration occurs due to the presence of ________ ________ created by the smaller size of the _______ arteriole and the increased permeability of the _________ ________
hydrostatic pressure
efferent
glomerular capillaries
How can the nephron control the blood pressure at the glomerulus?
By constricting or relaxing the afferent and efferent arterioles
When blood pressure is high, what arteriole constricts to restrict blood flow to the glomerulus?
Afferent arteriole
When blood pressure is low the ______ arteriole is dilated and the ______ arteriole is constricted to allow increased blood flow in the glomerulus.
Afferent
Efferent
Pore size of capillaries
66 Dalton
*any molecules smaller than that will be readily filtered, anything larger will not fit through the pores.
How can chronic high blood pressure, like with diabetes, cause damage to the capillary pores?
By forcing molecules that are too large out of the pores
Ex. Do Microalbumin test to asses damage
The rates of _____ ______ and ______ ______ can give an indication of how well the kidney is functioning.
Renal blood
Renal Plasma flow
Renal plasma flow is estimated using…..
The effective renal plasma flow -PAH clearance
Flick’s Principle
Flow in = Flow out
what flows in should flow out.
How can renal blood flow be calculated?
From the ERPF
Blood = plasma + hematocrit
What is arteriole dilation or constriction?
an auto-regulatory mechanism controlled by the juxtaglomerular apparatus and macula densa
Drops in Blood pressure cause the _____ arterioles to dilate and the ______ arterioles to constrict to maintain pressure and prevent a decrease in the amount of blood being filtered
Afferent
Efferent
- This also prevents increased levels of toxic products in the blood
Increased blood pressure causes the ______ arteriole to constrict and the ________ arteriole to dilate to maintain pressure and prevent over filtration
Afferent
Efferent
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS)
The juxtaglomerular apparatus and macula densa monitor changes in BP and plasma sodium content.
Low sodium and decreased BP causes the juxtaglomerular apparatus to secrete renin which initiates a cascade reaction (RAAS)
Angiotensin II causes dilation of the affferent arterioles and constriction of the efferent arterioles, increased
Angiotensin II causes
- dilation of the afferent arterioles and constriction of the efferent arterioles
- increased sodium reabsorption in the PCT leads to the release of aldosterone and AVP
- Aldosterone increases sodium reabsorption form the DCT
4.AVP increases water reabsorption from the collecting duct and tubules
LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN BP AND SODIUM CONTENT
Testing for Glomerular Filtration
Clearance tests
Clearance tests do what?
Measure the rate at which the kidneys are able to clear (remove) a filterable substance from the blood
Must use a substance that is not reabsorbed or secreted by the tubules to ensure filtration is measured correctly
What was one of the first analytes used for clearance testing
Urea - because of its presence in all urine and the existence of routine analytical methods, however it was known that about 40% was reabsorbed, so values had to be adjusted for each test
**Urea is not currently used for clearance testing.
What are the best analytes for clearance testing?
The ones that are endogenous and are produced at a constant rate
Inulin Clearance
*Polymer of fructose, very stable, not secreted or reabsorbed by the tubules, ONLY FILTERED
*One of the original analytes used for testing
*Disadvantage = it is exogenous and must be infused at a constant rate for the duration of the test
*Not currently used for glomerular filtration testing
Beta2 Microglobulin Clearance
Really good choice*
*small protein produced by WBCs
*Good analyte because it is endogenous and is produced at a relatively constant rate, as long as there is no inflammation or infection
*ONLY FILTERED not secreted
*99.9% reabsorbed by the PCT
*Disadvantage is that an active immune or inflammatory response increases the concentration and invalidates the test.
Creatinine Clearance
*Currently used test
*Abnormal results should be analyzed by follow up testing
*Excellent screening test for GFR in the clinical lab
What is creatinine?
A waste product from muscle metabolism and is found at a relatively constant level in the blood
Disadvantages of Creatinine Clearance (5)
- Small amount is secreted by the tubules
- Bacteria can breakdown creatinine if urine is left at RT for an extended time
- Some medications can inhibit secretion causing falsely low serum levels
- a high meat diet during collection can influence results
- Not reliable for patients with muscle wasting diseases
What is cystatin C
A small protein produced at a constant rate by all nucleated cells
*Completely filtered by glomerulus and reabsorbed in the tubules
none is secreted
Cystatin C clearance testing
*Serum concentrations are unaffected by diet, age, race, gender, or muscle mass
*The serum concentration can be directly related to GFR, and can be measured by immunassay
*Monitoring is recommended for pediatric patients, diabetics, the elderly, and critically ill patients
What is tubular Secretion?
The passage of substance from the peritubular capillaries to the filtrate
What is tubular secretion important for?
For waste that is not filtered by the glomerulus (ex. protein bound drugs) and for acid base balance (maintain pH)
Protein bound waste in the plasma develops a stronger affinity for….
The tubular cells and dissociates from the protein allowing it to be transported into the filtrate
*Used to get rid of many of the products of cell metabolism
Acid-Base balance
the body requires a pH of 7.4, so excess acid waste must be eliminated and bicarbonate (base) reabsorbed to maintain balance
if the pH is too basic (too much HCO) bicarbonate will be excreted and H+ will be reabsorbed
If the pH is too acidic, H+ will be excreted and HCO- will be reabsorbed