Renal Physiology Flashcards
How much Ca2+ and phosphate do the kidneys excrete in comparison to the amount entering the body via the GI tract?
The same amount
Which metabolite and hormone can increase intestinal Ca2+ and phosphate absorption?
Vitamin D can help to activate the hormone calcitriol, and this hormone increases absorption of Ca2+ and phosphate.
Which enzyme activates Vitamin D3?
1a-hydroxylase
Where is 1a-hydroxylase produced?
The proximal convoluted tubule
What regulates the levels of 1a-hydroxylase enzyme?
Parathyroid hormone
How does calcium levels affect the levels of parathyroid hormone?
Calcium sensing receptors on the parathyroid gland release parathyroid hormone.
What does PTH do to the concentration of Ca2+ and phosphate?
1) Increased Ca2+ and phosphate reabsorption from the bone.
2) Increased Ca2+ and decreased phosphate reabsorption from the kidneys
3) Increases calcitriol production in the kidney which increases Ca2+ and phosphate absorption.
All increases plasma Ca2+ levels.
Outline how PTH increases Ca2+ reabsorption in the proximal convoluted tubule
1) Binding of PTH to the PTH receptor increases levels of intracellular cAMP.
2) Increased cAMP down regulates 2 phosphate dependant transporters, so more phosphate excretion from the PCT cells occurs.
Outline how PTH increases Ca2+ reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule
1) PTH regulates the transient receptor potential channel (TRPV5).
2) Increased levels of cAMP up regulates TRPV5, so more Ca2+ is reabsorbed from the lumen.
3) Plasma membrane calcium ATPase channels (PMCA) transports the Ca2+ into the bloodstream, so overall more Ca2+ reabsorption.
In the body is calcium or phosphate regulation prioritised?
Calcium balance is prioritised over phosphate balance.
When is erythropoietin produced?
When the blood pO2 decreases
Where is erythropoietin produced from?
Interstitial fibroblasts in the kidney
Where does erythropoietin act?
It acts on the bone marrow
Where is renin secreted from in the kidney?
The granular cells of the afferent arteriole
List 3 reasons why renin is released from the kidneys
1) Reduced pressure in the afferent arteriole - sensed by macular densa cells
2) Increased sympathetic activity
3) Decreased levels of Na+ in the DCT - sensed by macular densa cells
What is the function of renin?
To cleave angiotensin to angiotensin 1.
What happens when angiotensin 1 travels through the capillary endothelial cells in the lung?
The angiotensin converting enzymes on the surface of these cells convert angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2.
Which substance is only excreted in those with diabetes?
Glucose will be excreted in the urine also by those patients who have diabetes
What is diabetic neuropathy?
When there is scarring and an expanded interstitium of the kidney, which severely affects kidney function.
What is polycystic kidney disease?
When cysts appear throughout the kidney from the nephron tubules.
It is an autosomal dominant disease.
What are the two routes/pathways a substance can take when crossing a cell membrane?
Paracellularly (between the tight junctions of cells)
Transcellularly (across the cell)
Which organ has the highest blood flow per unit mass?
The kidneys
Which substances pass from the glomerular capillaries to the Bowman’s capsule?
Water, urea, salts, ions.
These are at roughly the same concentration as they are in the plasma.
Large blood proteins do not pass across the filtration barrier.
Define the glomerular filtration rate
This is the sum of the filtration rates of all the nephrons in the body.
What happens to the GFR if the number of functioning nephrons is reduced?
The GFR will decrease, thereby resulting in chronic renal failure.
What properties does a substance have to have in order to be used to measure the GFR?
1) Substance has to be freely filtered from the glomerular capillaries.
2) Substance should not be reabsorbed into the capillaries
3) Substance should not further be excreted into the tubules from the capillaries
Which 2 substances are commonly used to calculate the GFR?
Inulin and creatinine
What is the equation for GFR?
Conc of inulin in urine x flow rate in the kidneys
÷
Conc of inulin in the plasma
What are podocytes?
Podocytes are cells that wrap around the glomerular capillaries.
Between their primary processes there is the filtration slit, which is spanned by the protein nephron.
List 3 structural elements of the basement membrane
1) Endothelial pores - usually plugged by glycocalyx to prevent large proteins passing through.
2) Basement membrane that connects the podocytes and endothelial cells.
3) Filtration slits, fenestrations that allow substances to pass across the membrane.
What does a mutation in the nephron protein result in?
Cogenital nephrotic syndrome, there is an abnormal or absent filtration slit diaphragm.
What does a mutation in the type IV collagen result in?
Alport syndrome, affects the basement membrane in the Bowman’s capsule
Which 2 factors affect how effectively a substance is freely filtered from the glomerular capillaries?
1) Molecular weight -> if molecule is large it may not be able to pass between the filtration slits.
2) Charge -> glomerular filtration barrier is negative, so large negatively charged molecules will be repelled from the surface.
What kinds of molecules can get through the glomerular filtration barrier?
Filterability suddenly decreases when molecular diameter increases past 3 nm.
Anions filterability decreases faster at a smaller diameter than neutral molecules, as the negative charge repels so it blocked from being filtered more quickly.
(small, neutral/positive molecules)
Which 4 forces are acting on the glomerular capillaries, and controls filtration?
1) Hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillary from the systolic blood pressure.
2) Hydrostatic pressure in the Bowman’s capsule
3) Oncotic pressure in the glomerular capillary due to the large plasma proteins being left in the capillary.
4) Oncotic pressure in the Bowman’s capsule - this is negligible as the flow removes filtrate along the tubules quickly.
How do you calculate the net ultrafiltration pressure?
Net ultrafiltration pressure = Net hydrostatic pressure - Net oncotic pressure
How does the filtration rate change from the afferent arteriole to the efferent arteriole?
The oncotic pressure in the glomerular capillary increases in the the efferent end.
This means the net ultrafiltration pressure decreases, so filtrate rate decreases.
Which changes to 3 factors will reduce the GFR?
1) Decrease in hydrostatic pressure in capillary
2) Increase in hydrostatic pressure in the Bowman’s capsule
3) Increase in oncotic pressure in the capillaries.
How does the renal plasma flow affect the filtration rate?
Increase in renal plasma flow increases the filtration rate.
Which drug can cause afferent arteriole constriction?
Adenosine
What does afferent arteriole constriction cause?
It decreases the hydrostatic pressure and decreases renal blood flow.
Decreases GFR.
Which drug can cause efferent arteriole constriction?
Angiotensin 2
What does efferent arteriole constriction cause?
It increases hydrostatic pressure and decreases renal blood flow.
Increases GFR.
Which drug can cause afferent arteriole dilation?
Prostaglandins and NO
What does afferent arteriole dilation cause?
Increases hydrostatic pressure and increases renal blood flow.
Increases GFR.
What can cause efferent arteriole dilation?
Blocking of angiotensin 2 receptors
What does efferent arteriole dilation cause?
Its decreases hydrostatic pressure and increases renal blood flow.
Decreases GFR.
What is the difference between inulin and creatinine as a substance used to calculate GFR?
Inulin is not secreted or excreted from the bloodstream, however some creatinine is secreted back into the tubules.
What is the equation for filtration fraction?
Glomerular filtration rate
÷
Renal plasma flow
What occurs in auto regulation as the blood pressure increases?
The vascular resistance also increases.
Which part of the kidney is affected by blood pressure changes?
Only the afferent arteriole will vasoconstrict depending on the change in blood pressure.
What is the autoregulatory renal plasma flow range in human?
90-180mmHg
Outline the myogenic mechanism of the afferent arterioles
An increase in blood pressure increases the stretch in the afferent arteriole.
This stretch opens non specific cation channels within the arteriole, which therefore causes depolarisation of those cells.
The Ca2+ channels then open, which causes the afferent arteriole to contract.
Vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole decreases hydrostatic pressure and renal blood flow, thereby decreasing the GFR.
Outline the mechanism of tubuloglomerular feedback
An increase in blood pressure increases the filtration rate in the glomerulus.
This delivers more NaCl and water into the DCT.
The macula densa cells surrounding the DCT detect this increase in NaCl by taking up Na+. This causes ATP release, which then initiates a Ca2+ release in the mesangial cells which is in the gap junction between macula densa cell and smooth muscle cell. This leads to afferent arteriole constriction.
Adenosine can also lead to the vasoconstriction of the afferent arterioles.
In turn this will decrease the GFR and renal blood flow so less NaCl is filtered and more is reabsorbed.
What can override the auto regulatory system when the blood pressure is below 90mmHg or above 200mmHg?
Nerves, hormones (extrinsic factors)
How can the sympathetic nervous system override auto regulation?
Sympathetic activity can cause afferent and efferent arteriole constriction.
This particularly occurs during haemorrhage, when the sympathetic nervous system diverts blood flow away from other vital organs.
Which hormone causes vasoconstriction of the afferent arteriole?
Adrenaline
How does adrenaline override auto regulation?
Adrenaline increases sympathetic activity, which then increases afferent arteriolar constriction.
Increased afferent arteriolar constriction decreases the hydrostatic pressure and decreases the renal blood flow, resulting in a decreased glomerular filtration rate.
What is the purpose of the SGLT2 transporter?
These glucose transporters have a low affinity and high capacity for glucose, and cotransport glucose into the PCT cells with Na+.
What do SGLT2 transporter inhibitors do?
1) These decrease glucose uptake therefore decrease the blood glucose concentration and HbA1c levels.
2) Less glucose reabsorption causes unintentional weight loss.
3) Less glucose in blood reduces blood pressure.
4) It is cardiovascular protective.
5) It is renal protective.
How does diabetes mellitus affect the function of SGLT2?
When diabetic, more glucose is transported to the nephron. This means more SGLT2 transporters have to be transcribed in order to increase the glucose uptake.
This indirectly also increases the Na+ uptake into he capillaries.
This prevents the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism from occurring (this is stimulated by an increase in Na+ in the tubule).
Means that the filtration of glucose cannot be decreased.
What happens when an SGLT2 inhibitor is given to a diabetic person?
The inhibitor prevents more SGLT2 transporters from being transcribed.
This means more glucose (and Na+) remains in the tubule, therefore the tubuloglomerular feedback mechanism can be stimulated to reduce glucose reabsorption overall.
Define renal clearance
The volume of plasma that would be required to supply that amount of the substance excreted per unit.
Can renal clearance be measured using any compound?
Yes! But the value obtained will depend on how the substance is handled by the kidneys.
When is the clearance equal to the the glomerular filtration rate of that substance?
When the substance is freely filtered, and is not reabsorbed or secreted.
If the clearance is less than inulin what has happened?
More reabsorption of that substance has occurred
If the clearance is greater than inulin what has happened?
More secretion from the capillaries has occurred.
What has happened if the renal clearance is 0?
Either it is completely reabsorbed or not filtered at all.
What is one drawback of renal clearance methods?
Does not provide information about a specific substance or precise sites or mechanisms of transport.
The clearance of which specific substance gives the renal plasma flow?
Para amino hippurate
Outline how inulin is used as a measure of renal clearance
It is a polysaccharide of fructose which has to be infused intravenously.
Requires continuous blood sampling every 10-20 minutes.
Outline how creatinine is used as a measure of renal clearance
It is an endogenous by product of muscle metabolism that is released into the blood at a constant rate.
Only requires one blood sample, but because there is some secretion from the capillaries use of creatinine overestimates GFR by 10-20%.
What happens to the urinary excretion when the GFR decreases?
The urinary excretion also decreases as the GFR decreases.
What happens to plasma creatinine when the urinary excretion decreases?
The plasma creatinine will increase as it is not being filtered.
However this then reverses and leads to higher plasma creatinine excretion in the urine.
Means that a decrease in GFR is proportional to an increase in plasma creatinine.
Does a small or large change in plasma creatinine concentration have large effects on GFR?
Small changes in plasma creatinine has large effects on the GFR.
What is the normal range for GFR?
90-140 ml/min
Why is PAH used to calculate plasma renal flow?
PAH is secreted from peritubular capillaries (from a Tm dependant mechanism) into the PCT.
At low plasma concentrations, almost all the PAH arriving in the renal plasma is excreted in the urine.
List 4 factors that can affect the normal range of GFR?
1) Age
2) Sex
3) Racial group
4) Body size
Define what Tm (transport maximum) means
Tm = The point where an increase in concentration does not result in an increase in movement of a substance across a membrane. Applies to both absorptive and secretory processes.
Describe the flow of PAH through the tubules and peritubular capillaries
20% of PAH is filtered in the Bowman’s capsule. The rest is secreted into the tubules in the PCT. Means that all PAH is excreted.
Results in a high renal flow but zero renal clearance.
Does the flow of PAH have a high or low Tm saturation?
The filtration of PAH has a Tm at high plasma concentration.
This means the clearance is not representative of the renal plasma flow.
What is Fick’s principle regarding PAH entering the kidney?
The amount of PAH entering the kidneys per minute is equal to the amount of PAH leaving the kidneys per minute.
What is the equation for renal plasma flow?
Excreted load of PAH
÷
Arterial PAH conc - Venous PAH conc
How do you calculate the excreted load of PAH?
This is the conc of PAH in the urine x the flow rate
What happens to the plasma clearance as the concentration of inulin increases?
The plasma clearance stays the same.
What happens to the plasma clearance as the concentration of PAH rises?
Above a certain concentration the plasma clearance starts to decrease.
Why does plasma clearance decrease when PAH conc rises?
Because the clearance process becomes saturated - the Tm has been reached.
Means that only when there is a low PAH conc the clearance of PAH is equal to the renal plasma flow.
How do you convert Renal Plasma Flow to Renal Blood Flow?
RBF is the RPF ÷ (1-haematocrit)
Define the filtration fraction
This is the ratio of the GFR to the RPF - the fraction of plasma that is actually filtered across the glomerular capillaries.
What could cause an increase in the filtration fraction?
Severe haemorrhage
What happens when the filtration fraction is increased?
The hydrostatic pressure decreases and the oncotic pressure in the peritubular capillaries increases.
Overall this results in increased reabsorption.
What happens when the filtration fraction is decreased?
The hydrostatic pressure increases and oncotic pressure in the peritubular capillaries decreases.
Overall this results in decreased reabsorption.
What is glycosuria?
Presence of glucose in the urine
Why does glycosuria occur in those with diabetes mellitus?
The excessive amount of glucose in the blood cannot all be filtered, as the number of transporters on the cell membranes is limited.
This means the transporters become saturated and the Tm is reached. Results in some glucose having to be excreted.
What is the relationship between glucose clearance and glucose plasma concentration?
As the glucose plasma concentration increases above 200 mg/dL (when the Tm of the glucose transporters has been reached) the clearance of glucose also increases.
Which glucose transporter becomes saturated in diabetes?
SGLT2 transporters
Which glucose transporter is present in the proximal straight tubule?
SGLT1 transporter, for remaining 3% of glucose.
List 3 drugs used to treat diabetes
1) Dapagliflozin
2) Canagliflozin
3) Empagliflozin
Define the meaning of ‘splay’ in regards to SGLT2 glucose transporters
When plasma glucose increases, the glucose transporters reach the transport maximum gradually.
This is because different nephrons have different levels of expression of SGLT2, so saturation will also be gradual.
What is the equation for the calculating the transport maximum?
Tm = Filtered rate - Excreted rate
How do you calculate the filtered rate for glucose?
The conc of plasma glucose x GFR