Renal: Physiology - Regulation of extracellular fluid composition, volume and acid-base balance Flashcards
What is the normal plasma osmolality?
280-295mOsm/kg of H2O
At what osmolality is vasopressin maximally inhibited at?
285mOsm/kg of H2O
What happens to vasopressin secretion and thirst response when the effective plasma osmotic pressure increases?
Vasopressin secretion increases
Thirst response stimulated
What is total body osmolality proportional to?
[(total body Na+) + (total body K+)] / TBW
Where are the osmoreceptors located?
Outside the blood-brain barrier in the anterior hypothalamus
Primarily in the organum vasculosum of lamina terminalis (OVLM), one of the circumventricular organs
How many vasopressin receptors are there? What are their effects?
Three:
V1A and V1B increase intracellular Ca2+
V2 increases cAMP
Which vasopressin receptor mediates the antidiuretic effect of vasopressin in the kidneys? How is this achieved?
V2 activation increases cAMP and promotes rapid translocation of aquaporin-2 channels (stored in endosomes inside collecting duct cells) to the apical membrane of principal cells of the collecting ducts
What are the three effects of V1A receptor activation?
- Vasoconstriction - however relatively large amounts of vasopressin are needed to raise BP in vivo because vasopressin also acts centrally to reduce CO
- Glycogenolysis
- Also found in brain where vasopressin functions as a neurotransmitter
What is the role of V1B receptors? Where are they found?
Found in the anterior pituitary where it stimulates ACTH release
What is the area postrema and what is vasopressin’s effect here?
Brainstem structure and one of the seven circumventricular organs
When stimulated by vasopressin causes sympathoinhibition (reduces CO, part of baroreflex)
Biologic half-life of vasopressin
18mins
Where is circulating vasopressin inactivated?
Primarily in liver and kidneys
Occurs rapidly (short biologic half-life)
Eight factors that increase vasopressin secretion
- Increased effective plasma osmotic pressure (>285mOsm/kg of H2O)
- Decreased ECF volume
- Pain, emotion, stress
- Exercise
- Nausea and vomiting
- Standing
- Drugs: clofibrate and carbamazepine
- Angiotensin II
Three factors that decrease vasopressin secretion
- Decreased effective osmotic pressure of plasma
- Increased ECG volume
- Alcohol
Where is vasopressin stored?
Posterior pituitary
What is the relationship between vasopressin secretion and discharge rate of stretch receptors?
Inversely proportional: when stretch receptor discharge rate increases (due to increased ECF), rate of vasopressin secretion decreases
Where are the low-pressure stretch receptors located? Where are the high-pressure stretch receptors located?
Low-pressure: great veins, right and left atria, pulmonary vessels
High-pressure: carotid sinuses, aortic arch
Is vasopressin secretion responsive to venous or arterial pressure?
Both: low-pressure stretch receptors are responsive to moderate decreases in blood volume that reduce CVP without affecting arterial pressure
What are the primary mediators of volume effects on vasopressin secretion: low- or high-pressure stretch receptors?
Low
How does angiotensin II increase vasopressin secretion?
By acting on the circumventricular organs
Describe the pathway involved in transmitting impulses from low-pressure stretch receptors to the hypothalamus
Low-pressure stretch receptor activation (increased CVP) -> nucleus of tractus solitarius (NTS) -> inhibitory pathway from NTS to caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) -> inhibits excitatory pathway from CVLM to hypothalamus
What is the effect of hypovolaemia and hypotension in massive haemorrhage on vasopressin release? What is the effect on the osmotic response curve?
Large amounts of vasopressin released
In presence of hypovolaemia, results in water retention and reduced plasma osmolality (with hyponatraemia)
Osmotic response curve shifts to the left and the slope is increased
Volume stimuli can override osmotic stimuli in increasing vasopressin secretion: true or false?
True
What is diabetes insipidus? What are the two types?
Syndrome resulting either from vasopressin deficiency (central DI), or failure of the kidney to respond to vasopressin (nephrogenic DI)