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)
Causes of central diabetes insipidus
- Pituitary neoplasm (primary or metastatic) 30%
- Posttraumatic (including post surgical removal of posterior pituitary) 30%
- Idiopathic 30%
Remaining 10%:
4. Vascular lesions
5. Infections
6. Systemic diseases affecting the hypothalamus (e.g. sarcoidosis)
7. Genetic (e.g. mutations in gene for prepropressophysin)
Is central DI as a result of surgical removal of the posterior pituitary permanent or temporary?
May be temporary if distal ends of supraoptic and paraventricular fibres are only damaged because they can recover and make vasopressin again
Symptoms of diabetes insipidus
Polyuria
Polydipsia (if not maintained, can become fatally dehydrated)
What are the two causes of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?
Both genetic:
1. X-linked recessive V2 receptor mutation
2. Autosomal AQP2 gene mutation
What is SIADH?
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone
Occurs when vasopressin is inappropriately high relative to serum osmolality
Causes water retention and dilutional hyponatraemia
Loss of salt in urine also results in decreased secretion of aldosterone
Describe vasopressin escape
Prolonged exposure to elevated levels of vasopressin results in down-regulation of AQP2 production
Five broad causes of SIADH with specific examples
- Primary brain injury (e.g. meningitis, SAH)
- Drugs (e.g. carbamazepine, SSRIs, amitriptyline, morphine)
- Malignancy (e.g. SCLC)
- Infective causes (e.g. pneumonia, cerebral abscess)
- Hypothyroidism
What drug may be used to treat SIADH?
Demeclocycline
Antibiotic that reduces renal response to vasopressin
What is the most important determinant of ECF volume?
[Na+]
Four mechanisms by which angiotensin II acts to maintain BP
- Stimulates aldosterone release
- Stimulates vasopressin and ACTH release
- Stimulates NA release
- Vasoconstricts
- Mesangial cell contraction to decrease GFR
- Increases thirst
- Direct tubular effect to increase Na+ reabsorption
- Acts on brain to decrease sensitivity of baroreflex
What stimulates ANP and BNP release? What effect does this have?
Increased ECF volume
Induces natriuresis and diuresis
Describe the response of the kidney to reduced ECF volume in terms of Na+ reabsorption?
ECG volume decreases -> BP falls -> decreased glomerular capillary pressure -> decreased GFR -> decreased Na+ filtration
Aldosterone release -> increased Na+ reabsorption
Three hormones produced by the kidney
Renin
EPO
1,25-dihydroxycolecalciferol
What does endogenous oubain do?
Inhibits Na K ATPase
What other organs produce prorenin?
Ovaries (however very little prorenin is converted to renin in the circulation; active renin is primarily a product of the kidney)
Half-life of active renin
80mins
Function of renin
Cleaves angiotensin I from the amino terminal end of angiotensinogen (renin substrate)
Where is angiotensinogen produced?
In the liver
Five substances that increase the circulating level of angiotensinogen
- Glucocorticoids
- Thyroid hormones
- Oestrogens
- Cytokines
- Angiotensin II
Role of angiotensin-converting enzyme
Converts angiotensin I to angiotensin II
Inhibits bradykinin (called kininase II in this context)
Mechanism of cough side effect seen in ACEIs
Increased bradykinin acting on B2 receptors
Where does conversion of angiotensin I to II predominantly take place?
In the lungs
Two forms of ACE
Somatic: found throughout the body
Germinal: found solely in spermatogenic cells and spermatazoa
Drugs reducing renin secretion or activity
Reduced renin secretion: indomethacin, B-blockers (e.g. propranolol)
Direct renin inhibitor: enalkiren, pepstatin
Half-life of angiotensin II
1-2mins
How is plasma renin activity measured?
Sample is incubated and an immunoassay is used to measure the amount of angiotensin I produced
Exogenous angiotensinogen may be added to prevent falsely low PRAs due to low angiotensinogen: this effectively measures plasma renin concentration (PRC)
Normal PRA
1ng/ml/hr of angiotensin I generated
What is more potent: angiotensin II or NA?
Angiotensin II 4-8x more potent that NA
Why is angiotensin II activity decreased in the setting of Na+ depletion and in cirrhosis?
There is increased circulating angiotensin II in these conditions, which causes downregulation of vascular AT1 receptors (but upregulation of adrenocortical AT1 receptors)
Two classes of angiotensin II receptors and their cellular effects
- AT1: increased cytosolic free Ca2+
- AT2: K+ channel opening, increased NO and cGMP
Which cells of the kidney produce renin? Where are they found?
Juxtaglomerular cells, found in media of afferent arterioles
Also found in lacis cells but significance unknown
Three factors increasing renin secretion
- Increased sympathetic activity via renal nerves
- Increased circulating catecholamines
- Prostaglandins
Four factors decreasing renin secretion
- Increased Na+ and Cl- reabsorption across macula densa
- Increased afferent arteriolar pressure
- Angiotensin II
- Vasopressin
How does angiotensin II decrease renin secretion?
Acts directly on juxtaglomerular cells
Ten conditions that increase renin secretion
- Na+ depletion
- Diuretics
- Hypotension
- Haemorrhage
- Upright posture
- Dehydration
- Cardiac failure
- Cirrhosis
- Constriction of renal artery or aorta
- Various psychological stimuli
Most increase renin secretion due to decreased CVP triggering sympathetic response, some also decrease renal arteriolar pressure
Psychological stimuli increase activity of renal nerves
Which receptors are involved in sympathetically mediated renin secretion?
B1-adrenergic receptors on juxtaglomerular cells