Renal Physiology (Test 1 - Winter) Flashcards
Functions of the kidney
Excretion of metabolic waste products including endogenous organic compounds and exogenous compounds.
Name some endogenous organic compounds
Urea, creatinine, bilirubin, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, phenols, amines etc.
Name some exogenous compounds
Regulation of:
- Water, electrolytes, extracellular fluid volume
- Blood pressure
- Acid-base balance
- Plasma osmolality
- RBC production
- Vitamin D production
Uremia
Urine in the blood
Why is urea toxic?
Urea spontaneously dissociates to form cyanate, which reacts irreversibly with proteins and free amino groups in a reaction known as carbamylation
Common symptoms associated with renal dysfunction
- Uremia
- Azotemia
- Hyperkalemia
- Metabolic Acidosis
- Hypocalcemia
- Bradycardia
Etc.
Path of blood into the kidney
- Renal artery
- Segmental artery
- Interlobar artery
- Arcuate artery
- Cortical radiate artery
- Interlobular aa.
- Afferent arteriole
- Glomerulus
- Efferent arteriole
Path of blood out of kidney
- Efferent arteriole
- Peritubular capillaries
- Venue
- Cortical radiate vein
- Arcuate vein
- Interlobar vein
- Renal vein
What is the functional unit of the kidney?
The nephron: glomerulus and tumulus system
How does the kidney help remove a substance from the body?
Excretion:
1. Filtration
2. Secretion
3. Reabsorption
Where does filtration take place?
Glomerulus
- Allows efficient and selective filtration
Pathway of filtration
- Afferent arteriole carries blood to the glomerulus
- Water and solutes cross the glomerular capillary wall into Bowman’s space—forming glomerular filtrate
- Filtered blood leaves the glomerulus via efferent arteriole
What is glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?
The volume of plasma filtered into Bowman’s space per unit time
3 variable determine the amount filtered:
A. Mean net filtration pressure
B. Area available for filtration
C. Permeability of the filtration barrier
Two forces favoring filtration:
- Hydrostatic pressure of the glomerular capillary (drives filtration)
- Oncotic pressure of filtrate in Bowman’s space (should be close to zero)
- Proteins are NOT supposed to be in urine
Forces opposing filtration:
- Hydrostatic pressure of Bowman’s space
- Oncotic pressure of the blood
Vasoconstriction of afferent arteriole _____ filtration
Opposes
Increase in renal blood flow ______ filtration
Favors
Increase in hydrostatic pressure in Bowman’s capsule ______ filtration
Opposes
A urethral obstruction _____ filtration
Opposes
Large diameter of afferent arteriole _____ amount of filtrate
Increases
Small diameter of efferent arteriole _____ amount of filtrate
Increases
How is surface area increased for better filtration?
Mesangial cells contract and relax which affects capillary surface area and flow
Regulated by vasoactive substance
What makes up the filtration barrier?
- Capillary endothelium
- Basement membrane
- Podocytes (visceral epithelium)
What forms the filtration barrier?
Bowman’s capsule
- Barrier is selectively permeable for molecules of a certain charge and size
How does molecule size affect filtration?
The bigger the molecule, the less it’s able to fit through the membrane and thus less likely to be filtered.
How does charge of a molecule affect filtration?
The more positive the charge, the more likely it is to be filtered/pass the membrane.
Why does the selective permeable glomerular capillary wall favor filtration of positively charge molecules?
Laminitis and fibronectin (glycoproteins) and peptidoglycans are part of the barrier and have a negative charge, which favors filtration of positively charged molecules
Glomerulus wall is permeable for molecules smaller than ____.
4 nm
What does freely filtered mean?
It means a molecule passes freely through the membrane. It does not get altered by filtration. Water and the substance are filtered in the same proportion.
What 2 molecules are freely filtered at equal concentrations?
Sodium and glucose concentrations are equal before and after filtration
Where and how much of water and solutes are reabsorbed?
85% is reabsorbed by proximal tubule and loop of henle?
How are filtered solutes and water reabsorbed?
- Passive/Active
- Primary active (ATP dependent)
- Secondary active (dependent on gradient)
- Antiporter/Exchanger (two solutes go in opposite directions)
- Symporter/Co-transporter go in same direction)
- Channels (aquaporins)
What is clearance?
The volume of plasma from which all of the substance (x) was removed and excreted in a given time
- Sometimes, some substances are reabsorbed from the primary filtrate, some are neither reabsorbed or secreted, some are secreted into filtrate.
What does it mean if clearance = 0?
Substance will not appear in the urine (i.e. glucose)
What does it mean if clearance is at max?
Substance is removed on a single passage through the kidney.
- Examples: organic acids/bases like morphine
What does it mean if clearance is > 0 but < than max?
The volume cleared of X in a given time is less than total renal perfusion flow. Solute is not cleared on a single passage (the renal venous plasma still contains some X
How much blood reaches the kidneys at rest?
20% of cardiac output
What gets delivered to the cells of the nephron?
Oxygen, nutrients, and hormones
What is returned to general circulation after the nephron?
CO2 and reabsorbed fluid and solutes
What modifies the rate of solute and water reabsorption?
The proximal tubule
Are there differences in blood supply between cortex and medulla?
Yes, O2 rich blood arrives 1st to cortex.
Cortex has high level of O2 saturation.
Medulla is predisposed for O2 deficiency
What is renal failure (in general)?
A decrease in GFR.
- Most renal functions are compromised when GFR decreases
Examples of compromised renal functions:
- Excretion of metabolic waste products
- Regulation of water, electrolytes, and extracellular fluid volume
- Regulation of blood pressure
And more…
What determines glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?
Renal blood flow
How does K affect GFR?
K increases GFR when glomerular surface area increases as glomerular mesangial cells relax
How does Pgc (osmotic pressure of glomerular capillaries) affect GFR?
GFR increases when renal arterial pressure increases and arteriole dilates
How does Pbs (osmotic pressure in Bowman’s space) affect GFR?
GFR decreases when intratubular pressure increases (e.g. an obstruction)
How does (Pi)gc (oncotic pressure in glomerular capillaries) affect GFR?
GFR decreases when systemic plasma oncotic pressure is increased
What causes a drop in plasma oncotic pressure?
Anything that leads to a drop in plasma proteins
Ex: liver disease/hypalbuminemia
Relationship between oncotic pressure and GFR
Decrease in arterial plasma protein concentrations decreases arterial oncotic pressure which increases GFR
Hydrostatic pressure in the glomerular capillary
- Changes little.
- Small resistance to blood flow
Oncotic pressure in the glomerular capillary
- Opposes filtration and increases as fluid is removed from capillaries while large proteins remain behind
True or False: Protein concentration decreases from afferent end to efferent end of glomerular capillary.
False: it increases as water is removed and proteins are left behind in capillary
What is the most important factor for favoring filtration?
Plasma concentration in the GC.
- Renal arterial pressure increases and afferent arteriole dilates
Factors that affect contraction of a/efferent arteriolar resistance
Sympathetic nerves
Angiotensin II
Factors that affect relaxation of a/efferent arteriolar resistance
PGE2
PGI1
True or False: MAP fluctuates with physiological conditions and disease majorly affecting GFR
False: GFR is tightly controlled and maintained within limited ranges
What happens if GFR becomes too low?
The excretion of waste products will be insufficient
What happens if GFR becomes to high?
- Tubules might be overwhelmed with salt/water reabsorption.
- High vascular pressure could cause hypertensive damage (atrophy)
What does dilation of the afferent arterioles do?
Raises hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillaries and GFR
What does constriction of the afferent arteriole do?
Decreases hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillaries and GFR
What does dilation of the efferent arteriole do?
Lowers hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillaries and GFR
What if afferent and efferent arteriolar resistance change in the same direction?
Exert opposite effects on hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillaries and GFR
Autoregulatory mechanisms to keep RBF & GFR within a limited range?
Myogenic response
Tubulo-glomerular feedback
Other mechanisms to keep RBF & GFR in a limited range?
Prostaglandins
Hormones (Angiotensin II, ANP, Dopamine)
Sympathetic Innervation
What is the point of the autoregulatory/other mechanisms?
Prevent large changes in GFR in the face of changes in arterial pressure. They preserve GFR a healthy GFR and prevent hypertensive damage.
What is the myogenic response?
Contraction/relaxation of arteriolar smooth muscle in response to changes in vascular pressure
True or False: Myogenic response downregulates RBF and thereby returns GFR to normal levels.
True :)
True or False: The myogenic response is slow process.
False: From 0 to constricted in under 10 seconds
True or False: While the myogenic response accounts for about 50% of the total regulatory capacity of renal vessels, tubuloglomerular feedback accounts for the other 50%.
True!!
What is the juxtaglomerular apparatus?
Specialized structure formed by distal convoluted tube and glomerular afferent arteriole.
Macula densa in the juxtaglomerular apparatus
The cells sense delivered salt load in the tubular lumen
What component of tubular fluid is sensed in TGF?
Na and Cl
What vasoactive substances are secreted in TGF?
Adenosine: via a paracrine mechanism affect smooth muscles of arteriole and granular cells
- Afferent tone increases for as long as mediator is present
- Renin production/secretion is decreased
True or False: TGF is a positive feedback mechanism.
False: Negative feedback.
- Net effect: increased salt delivery to the nephron results in decreased glomerular blood flow, which decreases salt delivery
What would happen if autoregulation fails?
Afferent arteriole does not constrict –> Renin increase –> tubule damage
What two prostaglandins vasodilate the afferent arterioles primarily?
PGE2 & PGI2
Where are prostaglandins produced?
Within the kidney
How are prostaglandins stimulated?
Synthesis and release stimulated by increased renal sympathetic nerve nerve activity AND increased levels of angiotensin II.
*thought to modulate effects of vasoconstrictors to reduce possibility of ischemic damage
If a patient is on NSAIDs too long, what is the affect?
Medullary hypoxic injury
Are hormones (angtiotensin II, ANP, dopamine) vasodilators or vasoconstrictors?
Vasoconstrictors of efferent arteriole.
What 3 renal structures are innervated by autonomics?
- Afferent arteriole
- Collecting duct
- Juxtaglomerular apparatus
Autonomic innervation affects on afferent arteriole
1.Norepinephrine causes vasoconstriction
2. Increased afferent sympathetic nerve activity decreases RBF and GFR
Autonomic innervation affects on collecting duct
- Norepinephrine increases sodium and potassium exchange
- Increases Na reabsorption and water retention
Autonomic innervation affects on juxtaglomerular apparatus
- Norepinephrine stimulates renin release
- activates RAAS
True or False: Sympathetic stimulation of the kidneys is important to maintain GFR during emergencies.
True: Like during hypovolemic shock
What is GFR?
The volume of plasma filtered into Bowman’s space in a given time (ml/min)
What is clearance?
The volume of plasma from which all of the substance is removed and excreted in a given time.
If a substance is reabsorbed, it goes where?
From the tubules to the vasculature.
True or False: If a substance is secreted, it goes from the vasculature to the tubules and out the urine.
True!!
True or False: Some substances are freely filtered but not reabsorbed/secreted, thus they can be used to calculate GFR.
True: example-inulin
What substance is freely filtered, secreted but mostly (99%) reabsorbed?
Sodium!!
What is creatinine?
Waste product formed in muscle from creatine phosphate.
Creatine synthesized by liver, kidney, pancreas, and used in brain and muscle.
True/False: Creatinine is synthesized at a constant rate and is produced 2x greater than muscle mass.
False: It is produced proportional to muscle mass.
What percentage of creatinine is filtered at the glomerulus?
About 15-20%.
*Similar to GFR
Why does creatinine excretion increase if plasma creatinine concentration increases?
(Creatinine increases with diet, exercise etc.)
GFR remains constant thus creatinine excretion increased because more creatinine is filtered
Why does creatinine clearance remain the same as plasma concentration goes up?
B/c GFR remains constant so clearance doesn’t change.
True/False: Creatinine clearance changes when GFR changes.
True!
Creatinine clearance tends to be an ____ estimation of GFR because _____.
Over; it is secreted to a small extent in the proximal tubule
What substance is a GFR marker used in vetmed?
Iohexol.
Test:
1. 12 hours fasting
2. 300mg/kg administered IV
3. Blood samples @ 2, 3, 4 hours later
4. Measurement of iohexol concentrations
5. GFR calculated using tables
What is BUN?
Blood urea nitrogen.
- The amount of nitrogen derived from urea
True or False: Urea constitutes about 75% of usual solute content of urine.
False: About half.
How does urea plasma concentration change with GFR changes?
As GFR decreases, plasma concentration increases
How does the kidney handle urea?
Freely filtered by glomerulus. Reabsorbed in tubular system. About 1/2 filtered load is excreted.