Sodium and Potassium Balance Flashcards
Define osmolarity
Osmolarity is a measure of the solute (particle) concentration in a solution (osmoles/liter)
What is the normal range of plasma osmolarity?
275-295 mosmoles/L
Why does a high salt diet lead to an increase in blood pressure?
- Increased salt in the diet leads to increased total body sodium so water is taken in to maintain osmolarity and this increases ECF fluid volume.
- This increases the pressure in the system i.e. increased blood pressure.
Salt is often added to food to improve the flavour. Why does salt improve the flavour, but too much salt make food taste bad, and how do we sense this?
- Salt is one of the 5 basic taste sensations, it is sensed by a specific sense of cells located on the tongue.
- At low salt concentrations the sensation is positive but as the concentration increases the sensation becomes aversive.
Which part of the brain is central to alter appetite for salt?
- Lateral Parabrachial nucleus.
- This region takes information from other areas as well as from neurotransmitters including serotonin and glutamate and in euvolemia the main outcome is inhibition of sodium intake
What proportion of filtered sodium load is taken up by Distal convoluted tubule?
5%
What proportion of filtered sodium load is taken up by
Thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle?
25%
What proportion of filtered sodium load is taken up by Proximal convoluted tubule?
65%
What proportion of renal blood flow is filtered into the nephrons?
20%
What is the effect of increased tubular sodium concentration on the juxtaglomerular cells of the macular densa?
Increased sodium uptake through the Na/K/Cl triple transporter, leading to release of adenosine and ATP
Which cells respond to the adenosine by reducing renin production?
Extraglomerular mesangial cells
Why does the release of adenosine lead to a reduction in GFR in the short term?
It causes the afferent SMCs to contract reducing renal plasma flow and therefore GFR.
What is the effect of low tubular sodium at the macular densa on the production of Angiotensin II?
It increases it because it stimulates the production of renin leading to angiotensinogen conversion to AI and finally to AII
Where in the tubular system does aldosterone work?
DCT (distal end of the DCT) and CT
Where is aldosterone released from?
adrenal cortex
What is the effect of AII on aldosterone release?
increases aldosterone release
How does aldosterone affect potassium balance?
It increases potassium secretion by stimulating sodium uptake: increased Na/K+ ATPase expression will increase the rate of K+ uptake and combined with the increase in Na reabsorption from the lumen (and excretion in to the blood) this will lead to increased K+ excretion
What is the effect of hypoaldosteronism on plasma renin?
It causes an increase in plasma renin because of the reduction in sodium reabsorption and the consequent loss of water reducing ECF and therefore BP. This leads to low sodium in the nephron and therefore the release of renin
What are the 6 major locations of baroreceptors?
- Atria
- Right ventricle
- Pulmonary vasculature
- Carotid sinus
- Aortic arch
- JGA
What are the effects of ANP on sodium reabsorption in the PCT?
Reduced Na reabsorption
What proportion of filtered potassium load is reabsorbed by Distal convoluted tubule?
Variable depending on potassium status ranges from 3% reabsorbed to secretion of 50%
What proportion of filtered potassium load is reabsorbed by Proximal convoluted tubule?
About 67%
What proportion of filtered potassium load is reabsorbed by Thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle?
About 20%
What happens to plasma K+ after a meal?
It initially increases then it is taken up into cells by the activity of the Na/K ATPase
What is the relationship between osmolarity and the number of dissolved particles?
the greater the number of dissolved particles, the greater the osmolarity
How can the concentration of water be described as?
- the proportion of a solution that is water
- concentration of water is inversely proportional to the number of dissolved solutes
What does decreased salt levels lead to?
- a reduction in water levels
- reduction in volume
What does increased salt levels lead to?
- an increase in water levels
- an increase in volume
What is the most important solute in determining ECF volume?
sodium (at 140mmol/L)
What is the impact of increased sodium in the diet?
- increased total body sodium, increasing osmolarity
- increased water retention
- increased body weight
How does increased dietary sodium cause hypertension?
- increases total body sodium and therefore osmolarity
- water retention increases extracellular fluid volume
- the fixed volume causes an increase in the pressure
Where is sodium reabsorbed in the nephron?
- PCT: 67%
- Thick ascending limb of the Loop of Henle: 25%
- DCT: 5%
- Collecting duct: 3%
How is sodium reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule?
- the use of sodium as a co- or counter transported ion facilitating the reabsorption of other things (glucose, amino acids, bicarbonates)
How is sodium reabsorbed in the Thick ascending limb of the Loop of Henle?
Na+/K+/Cl- triple transporter
How is sodium reabsorbed in the distal convoluted tubule?
Na+/Cl- transporter
How is sodium reabsorbed in the collecting duct?
collecting ducts via the Na+ channel ENAC
What is the impact of GFR on sodium excretion?
- if GFR goes up, total amount of sodium excreted would go up
- increasing water loss and reduced blood volume
What part of the brain is responsible for regulating sodium intake?
Lateral Parabroachial nucleus
What is the normal state (euvolaemia) of the Lateral Parabroachial nucleus?
the inhibition of Na+ intake through the activity of neurotransmitters (sodium, glutamate)
What is the action of the Lateral Parabroachial nucleus in a sodium deprived state?
increases the appetite for sodium using a seperate set of neurotransmitters (GABA and opioids)
What are the peripheral mechanisms used to regulate sodium intake?
based on taste
- taste for salt is bimodal, meaning that at low levels salt enhances taste, but at high levels can be aversive
Where are the baroreceptors that detect low blood pressure?
- atria
- right ventricle
- pulmonary vasculature
Where are the baroreceptors that detect high blood pressure?
- carotid sinus
- aortic arch
- juxtaglomerular apparatus
What happens when low blood pressure is detected by both the low and high blood pressure mechanisms?
- signals are sent from baroreceptors to the brainstem via afferent fibres
- this is due to a reduction in the firing of the receptors, which tonically suppress sympathetic activity
- renal baroreceptors suppress renin release normally, so low blood pressure increases renin release
- ADH is also released
What happens when high blood pressure is detected by both the low and high blood pressure mechanisms?
- high pressure mechanisms do not react
- low pressure detects atrial synthesis
- which promotes the release of ANP and BNP
What is Arial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP)
- small peptides that are made in the atria (also make BNP)
- released in response to atrial stretch
What are the actions of ANP and BNP?
- Vasodilatation of renal (and other systemic) blood vessels
(produced cGMP and protein kinase G) - Inhibition of Sodium reabsorption in proximal tubule and in the collecting ducts
- Inhibits the release of renin and aldosterone
- Reduces blood pressure
What happens when there is an unrelated increase in blood volume?
- reduced sympathetic activity
- afferent arterioar dilation
- ANP release
- increased GFR (increased water and Na+ excretion)
- reduce Na+ uptake in the PCT, DCT and CT
- suppressed release of ADH
What happens when there is an unrelated decrease in blood volume?
- increased sympathetic activity
- increased renin/angiotensin/aldosterone production
- increased AVP expression which increase sodium reuptake, water retention and prevent further loss of volume.
How do you ensure water movement in a nephron?
generate a gradient of interstitial osmolarity through the renal medulla
What happens if the osmolarity of the fluid in the tubule is the same as the fluid in the interstitium?
no net water movement into the interstitium
What happens if the osmolarity of the fluid in the tubule is the higher than the fluid in the interstitium?
reduce water reabsorption