Systems 2 - Renal Flashcards
Water % in body
60% of body weight is water (40-45L)
1/3 of this is extracellular fluid
2/3 of this is intracellular fluid
Extracellular fluid includes interstitial fluid, plasma, transcellular fluid
It has ~150mmol/L cations - mainly Na⁺
~150mmol/L anions - mainly Cl⁻
–> doesn’t add up to 300mmol, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ do not completely dissociate
Functions of the kidneys (6)
To maintain water balance To maintain salt balance Contribute to pH regulation Excretion of nitrogenous waste products Conservation and regulation of essential substances Hormone secretion
Functions of the kidneys - maintaining water balance
Extracellular fluid has osmolarity of ~285mOsm/L
Number of particles present determine osmolarity, mainly comprised of salts, v small amount protein
Regulated by water intake (thirst) and output
Functions of the kidneys - maintaining salt balance
Extracellular concentrations of:
[Na⁺] 135-145 mMol/L
[Cl⁻] 96-106 mMol/L
(can only fluctuate a very small amount)
Functions of the kidneys - pH regulation
Extracellular pH ~ 7.4 (very narrow limit)
–> urine is slightly acidic, to rid body of acid
pH is regulated by the rate at which H⁺ and HCO₃⁻ are excreted in urine
[HCO₃⁻] 25mMol/L - regulated by lungs via the rate at which CO₂ is expired
Functions of the kidneys - excretion of nitrogenous waste products
Urea, ammonia, creatine, uric acid
Excreted only by kidney
Functions of the kidneys - conservation and regulation of essential substances
Glucose Amino acids Magnesium [Phosphate] 1.1 mMol/L [K⁺] 3.6-5.2 mMol/L [Ca²⁺} 1.2 mMol/L - especially important for cardiac function
Functions of the kidneys - hormone secretion
Active form vitamin D - for absorption of calcium and phosphate from the gut (so bone problems if renal failure)
Renin - via RAAS for control of bp
Erythropoietin - for synthesis of RBCs (anaemia if renal failure)
Various prostaglandins
Osmolarity vs osmolality
Osmolarity = mOsmoles/L in solution
Osmolality = mOsmoles/kg in solvent
Normally equal, as density of water is one
Kidney response to dehydration and overhydration
Dehydration
- output of 0.3ml/min at osmolarity of 1,200 mOsm/L
- antidiuresis
Overhydration
- output of 12-15ml/min at osmolarity of 85 mOsm/L
- diuresis
But both have blood osmolarity of 285 mOsm/L - can excrete urine 4x more or less concentrated than extracellular fluid
- not rapid operator, takes time
Gross anatomy of the kidney
Cortex - darker, granular - Bowman’s capsules
Medulla - lighter, parallel striations pointing out - loops of Henle and collecting ducts
Features of the nephron - proximal convoluted tubule
Cuboidal epithelial cells
Many mitochondria - lots of active transport
Brush border of microvilli on apical cell surface
Tight junctions to regulate amount of fluid transport
Two sections - pars convolute and pars recta - pars convolute has most microvilli and mitochondria
-> paracellular and transcellular fluid reabsorption
Isosmotic reabsorption, osmolarity of tubular fluid remains ~300mOsm/L
MOST SALT AND WATER REABSORPTION OCCURS HERE (60-70%)
Features of the nephron - descending limb of Loop of Henle
Thin
Squamous epithelia
No brush border
Few mitochondria
Features of the nephron - ascending limb of Loop of Henle
Thick
Cuboidal epithelia
No brush border
Many mitochondria
Features of the nephron - distal convoluted tubule
No brush border - less fluid transport than in PCT
Many mitochondria
Features of the nephron - collecting duct
Columnar epithelia
No brush border
Many mitochondria
-> still some reabsorption occuring
Juxtaglomerular apparatus
Where nephron (top of ascending limb of LOH) bends back and closely contacts the glomerular capillaries in Bowman’s capsule
Modified smooth muscle cells line the afferent arteriole - juxtaglomerular cells - packed with secretory granules instead of actin and myosin, secrete renin
Macula densa - modified DCT cells - sensitive to Na⁺ concentration, will stimulate juxtaglomerular cells to release renin when Na⁺ low
Mesangial cells cushion - contractile tissues to support fragile tissues around
Movements across nephron
Reabsorption from tube to capillary - Na⁺, Cl⁻, K⁺, HCO₃⁻, glucose, amino acids
Secretion from capillary to tube - H⁺, K⁺
- dense capillary network needed
- glomerular filtration rate 90-120ml/min
Capillary network around nephron
Glomerular capillary bed
Peritubular capillary bed - in cortex, around PCT and DCT
Vasa recta - starts in cortex, but mainly in medulla - mirrors loop of Henle
Subcapsular nephrons vs juxta-medullary nephrons
SUBCAPSULAR NEPHRONS
- glomeruli in outer renal cortex
- short proximal tubules
- short loops of Henle, just dipping into medulla
- short, poorly developed vasa recta
JUXTA-MEDULLARY NEPHRONS
- glomeruli deep in cortex, close to corticomedullary boundary
- long proximal tubules
- long loops of Henle extending to renal pelvis before doubling back
- long vasa recta extending to renal pelvis
- -> better at absorbing glomerular filtrate
Glomerular filtration
Rate of 90-120ml/min
- urine output is 1ml/min, so kidneys reabsorb 99% of filtrate (necessary as filtration is unselective)
Varies with age (falls as age), gender (lower in women), body surface area (higher increases). 50% increase in early pregnancy
Energy is from hydrostatic pressure of blood, as heart beats
No energy expenditure by kidney in filtration
Contents of glomerular filtrate
No cells
Trace amounts of protein
Ions and small organic substances (glucose, amino acids) in the same concentration as they are present in plasma - ultrafiltrate
-> Glomerulus is filtration barrier, has ‘functional’ pores of 8-10nm diameter
Rate of glomerular filtration depends on:
1) Molecular weight - less than 10kDa is freely filtered, 10-80kDa rate is proportional to weight, more than 80kDa is totally excluded
2) Shape - long thin molecules more easily filtered than spherical molecules of same MW
3) Electrical charge - easiest to filter +ve charge, then neutral, hard to filter -ve
Three barriers to a substance passing from blood
1) Through fenestrations in wall of glomerular capillary
- 100nm diameter, so too large to prevent protein passage
2) Glomerular basal lamina
- glycoprotein matric, non-cellular
- carries fixed negative charge
- gives electrical characteristics of pores
3) Inner epithelial lining - podocytes
- have processes extending out, so substance has to pass through slit pores to enter Bowman’s capsule
- gives mechanical characteristics
-> damage to podocytes or basement membrane -> protein loss in urine
Glomerular filtration rate equation
= K x S x [(Pɢᴄ - Pᴛ) - (πɢᴄ - πᴛ)]
= permeability of glomerular barrier x surface area available for absorption x [(net hydrostatic pressure favouring filtration) - (net colloid osmotic pressure opposing filtration)]
ɢᴄ = in glomerular capillaries ᴛ = in Bowman's capsule
πᴛ = 0 usually, as should be no proteins in Bowman’s capsule
Afferent vs efferent ends of glomerular capillaries
AFFERENT - way in
- most filtration here, as higher driving pressure for filtration
EFFERENT - way out
- virtually no filtration here (but never -ve so reabsorption)
- blood here has high colloid osmotic pressure, many proteins, and high haematocrit (conc RBCs), not much fluid -> so viscous, slower blood flow
Pathologies affecting GFR
Kidney stones/tumour (blockage) - prevent the free drainage of fluid, increases hydrostatic pressure in tubule, so decrease rate
Nephrotic syndrome - increased permeability (K), so increase rate - also decreases colloid osmotic pressure in glomerular capillaries, so increase rate
Kidney removed - decrease SA, so decrease rate
Low bp - lowers hydrostatic pressure in glomerular capillaries, so decrease rate
Bloc
Autoregulation
= the relative independence from systemic bp of GFR and renal blood flow over the physiological range of MABP (80-180mmHg)
- GFR and renal blood flow remain ~constant when the kidneys are isolated and denervated, so must be a protective mechanism to separate from MABP
Brain most protected, then heart, then kidney
In vivo varies more
How to measure/estimate GFR
Inulin clearance - very accurate, inconvenient as exogenous
Creatinine clearance - accurate, quite convenient
Serum creatinine level - variable accuracy (depends where falls on graph), very convenient
[Blood urea] - not accurate
Radioisotope elimination - expensive, and dangerous exposure
Needs to be a substance freely filtered at glomerulus, but undergoing no tubular transport
Filtration rate = excretion in urine rate
Rate of filtration equations
Rate of filtration of X = Px x GFR
(Px = plasma conc of X)
Rate of excretion of X = Ux x V
(Ux = urinary conc of X V = rate of urine output)
As rate excretion = rate filtration
-> Px x GFR = Ux x V
GFR = (Ux x V)/Px
Creatinine clearance as measure of GFR
Best to use
Endogenous, produced at constant rate so stable plasma concentration
Doesn’t completely follow laws - some creatinine secreted to PCT, so urine creatinine comes partly from secretion, not all filtration
But degree of error is the same, increase Ux and increase Px (top and bottom of equation)
So works as a measure - non invasive, can do yourself at home - 24hr urine collection, blood sample
ENDOGENOUS
EASY
STABLE
Serum creatinine concentration to measure GFR
Serum creatinine can be converted to an estimate of GFr, when corrected for body size, gender, ethnicity
Good - the individual should stay relatively constant
Curve is no. functional nephrons/GFR on bottom, serum creatinine at side
Only useful at end point of curve, where less than one functional kidney, as beginning is flat
Used to plot progression of renal disease, as serum creatinine increases
PAH to measure renal blood flow
= para aminohippuric acid
Exogenous
Removed almost entirely from renal blood in a single circulation - freely filtered, secreted in active transport into tubular fluid in PCT, where it hijacks the secretory process for endogenous uric acid
Clearance very high, approximately same rate that plasma is delivered to kidneys
Renal blood flow equation
Renal blood flow = renal plasma flow/1-haematocrit
= 700/1-0.45
= 1.27L/min - out of 5L/min cardiac output, 25% to kidneys!
Vitamin D synthesis
Cholesterol (from food)
↓ sunlight
Cholecalciferol
↓ liver
25 hydroxycholecalciferol -> if no PTH, excreted inactive
↓ kidney, with parathyroid hormone
1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol = active vitamin D
Vitamin D function, and consequences of deficiency
Increases absorption of calcium and phosphate from gut
Increases reabsorption of calcium and phosphate by kidney
-> important for bone metabolism and maintaining Ca²⁺ in normal range
-> also for cardiovascular and immune function
Deficiency - rickets (deformed bones in children)
- osteomalacia (weak bones in adults)
Synthesis of erythropoietin
Decreased O₂ delivery to renal cortex - from CO poisoning, anaemia, haemmorhage, stenosis, altitude, respiratory disease
↓
O₂ sensors in renal cortex near basal membrane
↓
Hypoxia inducible factor
↓
Increased rate of transcription of EPO gene by renal cortical interstitial cells
↓
Erythropoietin
↓
Erythrocytes - bone marrow cells produce
Recombinant human EPO
Used in renal failure, cancer, AIDs
And by athletes to boost RBCs - can tell difference between endogenous and exogenous in urine samples
Pronephric phase of kidney development
3rd-4th week
Hollow tube high up in embryo
Never filters blood or has any use
Nephric duct built, with capacity to drain urine
Mesonephric phase of kidney development
4th-8th week
Transient role
Individual nephrons assemble at top, then die away with last function at bottom of embryo
(can retain trace of this, 2 kidneys bilaterally each with ureter)
Metanephric phase of kidney development
5th week onwards
Becomes definitive adult kidney
Sprouts from nephric duct become pelvis and ureter
Tail of nephrogenic mesoderm will be cortex
Nephric (uteric) duct will grow collecting tubules and nephrons into mesoderm from 6 weeks -> past birth following trigger from mesoderm
-> so epithelia that make up nephron are mesenchymal
Kidneys grow upwards (and what can go wrong)
Start in pelvis, pushed up by uteric bud as it grows up
Stop when reach adrenal glands
- if pushed too high -> thoracic kidney
- if not high enough, can’t overcome lump of common iliac vessels -> pelvic kidney
- if low and trapped by inferior mesenteric artery, fuse together -> horseshoe kidney
Polycystic kidney
Common, debilitating
Needs to be removed as is useless
Fatal if bilateral - can be corrected in utero if caught early
Where channels pump the wrong way, or an obstruction stops correct flow -> inflates kidney
Circulation of amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid largely made of urine
Foetus practises swallowing and breathing with it, cycles many times
-> problem if blind ended, as urine is toxic
Separation of urogenital sinus and rectum
Week 5 - undivided cloaca
Week 6 - enroaching of urorectal septum
Week 8 - separate urogenital and anal orifices (still unclear if male or female though, genital tubercle only)
Some urine drains into allantois, to umbilicus, must be sealed before birth
If not, patent urachus
Incomplete cloaca separation
Blind ended rectum, can be high or low (easier to repair if low)
Or fistula, rectum into urogenital sinus or vagina
Ureter formation
Initially is outgrowth of mesonephric duct
Then obtains separate entrance to bladder
Forms trigone, two ureters and urethra
Mesonephric ducts travel down to join to urethra instead - can now be used in males to add sperm without passing bladder, and females will kill
Types of kidney disease
Prerenal - loss of bp/effective blood volume
Intrarenal - inflammation, drugs/toxins
Postrenal - bladder or prostate cancer, stone
or systemic - lupus nephritis, myeloma kidney, vasculitis, HIV, drug toxicity
Oedema - in kidney disease?
Isolated oedema
or
Oedema in nephrotic syndrome - low serum albumin, proteinuria
Measuring kidney function
Creatinine - 90 normal
eGFR - more than 90 normal, less than 10 -> severe impairment
U and Es - urea and electrolytes
Ultrasound (USS)
Dipstick test - should have no protein, blood, free haemoglobin or glucose, and pH of 4.5-8.5
Renal replacement therapy types and associated complications
Haemodialysis - access complications, acute complications (arrhythmias, CVS death, air embolism), long term complications (left ventricular hypertrophy)
Peritoneal dialysis - many complications, associated with increased intra-abdominal pressure
Transplant - need to fit enough, need donor, immunosuppression. Early complications (delayed function, rejection, surgery), late complications (malignancy, infections), and other complications (CVS disease, disease reoccurence)
Functions of components of nephron
Glomerulus - ultrafiltration (tubular fluid = plasma without proteins)
PCT - mainly reabsorption
Loop of Henle - concentrates tubular fluid to ensure not excessive water loss
DCT - final tuning before pass to ureters
Urine = (filtrate - reabsorbed substances) + secreted substances
Tubular reabsorption
Blood leaving efferent arteriole and entering peritubular capillaries/vasa recta has characteristics favouring reabsorption of salts and water:
- low hydrostatic pressure
- high colloid osmotic pressure (rich in plasma proteins)
- high haematocrit, so sluggish blood flow
Renal clearance
Clearance = (Ux x V)/Px
Ux = urine conc of X V = urine flow rate Px = plasma conc of X
= rate at which substance is cleared from blood plasma.
Reflects the extent that a substance is filtered at the glomerulus and its subsequent movements (reabsorption or secretion) across the walls of the nephron.
Clearance rate and GFR - if no tubular transport
Filtration rate + tubular transport = Excretion rate
Tx = tubular transport = 0
(Px x GFR) + 0 = Ux x V
SO
GFR = (Ux x V)/Px
GFR = clearance rate (100ml/min)
eg inulin, creatinine
Clearance rate and GFR - if net reabsorption
Tx is positive
Px x GFR < Ux x V Filtration rate < excretion rate
GFR > (Ux x V)/Px GFR > clearance rate
eg glucose (100% reabsorbed), amino acids, Na⁺
Clearance rate and GFR - if net secretion
Tx is negative
Filtration rate > excretion rate
GFR < clearance rate
eg PAH, H⁺
Use of knowing clearance rate vs GFR
Take clearance value and compare to GFR If clearance bigger, net secretion If clearance smaller, net reabsorption If equal, no tubular transport So can know how the kidney handles a substance
Passive transport
Downhill movemetn, no metabolic energy expended directly
Down electrical, osmotic or concentration gradient
Active transport
Uphill movement, expending metabolic energy
Primary - eg Na/K ATPase
Secondary - eg Na/amino acid cotransporter
- indirect use of energy, couples movement of one substance against a concentration gradient with movement of another substance with its concentration gradient (driving ion)
Transport maximum limited processes
All active transport systems have a transport maximum, Tm
Tm = limit for amount of substance that can be transported per unit time
- transport process saturated when all binding sites on carrier protein are occupied, eg diabetes mellitus->glucose in urine
Plasma conc of Tm is the renal threshold
Tm limited transport of glucose
Above 11 mMol/L, glucose is excreted (some splay, not every nephron has same number of transporters)
Usually increase plasma glucose, increase reabsorption, until saturation
Not tight regulation
Tm limited transport of phosphate
Above 1.4mMol/L, filtered and excreted
Very tightly regulated by kidney, removed from body even if only slightly above normal range
Tubular transport of sodium in proximal tubule
Na⁺/H⁺ countertransporter into epithelial cell (from lumen)
Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase out to blood
Tubular transport of glucose and amino acids in proximal tubule
Na⁺/glucose or amino acid cotransporter into epithelial cell (from lumen) - secondary active transport
Facilitated diffusion out to blood
- all must be reabsorbed, can’t lose amino acids or glucose in urine
Tubular transport of water, K⁺,Cl⁻, Ca²⁺ and urea in proximal tubule
Paracellular and transcellular movement of water from lumen to blood. Paracellular water moves via osmotic gradient, transcellular movement not influenced by body conditions
K⁺,Cl⁻, Ca²⁺ and urea follow concentration gradients paracellularly, and some transcellularly
Tubular transport of proteins in proximal tubule
In via endocytosis
Amino acids cleaved
Out by facilitated diffusion
Tubular transport of organic acids and bases in proximal tubule
Organic bases - out into tubular fluid via carriers, exchange for Na⁺ or H⁺
Organic acids - out into tubular fluid via carriers, exchange for Cl⁻ or HCO₃⁻
These are key secretions into urine, some endogenous and some exogenous
Handling of drugs in proximal tubule
Secreted by Tm limited transport to lumen of tubule:
ACIDS
- uric acid (endogenous)
- PAH, aspirin, penicillin (exogenous) - will compete for removal from the body, coadministration -> longer lasting effect
BASES
- creatinine, histamine (endogenous)
- morphine (exogenous)
Rate of secretion depends on pH of tubular fluid, when tubular fluid is acidic more base is secreted, and vice versa
Can test urine to see how well drug will be excreted
Tubular transport of hydrogen and bicarbonate in proximal tubule
Na⁺/H⁺ countertransporter pumps H⁺ into tubular fluid
Reabsorbs HCO₃⁻, which combines with H⁺ to form CO₂ and H₂O in presence of carbonic anhydrase, then goes to blood
- because no HCO₃⁻ transporters in apical membrane, need to break down and reform
- HCO₃⁻ is essential to buffer pH in the body, needs to be reabsorbed. H⁺ is just recycled
Concentrations entering loop of Henle vs leaving vs urine
Tubular fluid entering loop = conc of plasma, 300mOsm/L
Leaving loop is more dilute, 100 mOsm/L
BUT urine excreted is more concentrated, 1200mOsm/L
-> collecting duct concentrates fluid, due to conditions set up by LOH
Loop of Henle as a countercurrent multiplier
Osmotic gradient in the renal medulla, which collecting ducts pass through. Only 200mOsm/L difference transversely , small amount of energy across establishes large gradient
Longer LOH, larger osmotic gradient, more concentrated urine
Descending limb freely permeable to salt and water
- so lots of water loss to salty environment, some salt moves in
- > very concentrated fluid at bottom of loop
Ascending limb is impermeable to water
- so no water reabsorption, but salt moves out via many transporters
- > very dilute fluid going to DCT (but in smaller volume of water)
Vasa recta as countercurrent exchange
All NaCl in and water out will return in ascending limb, so same concentration on exiting as on entering the vasa recta - maintains blood concentrations
If there was route out for blood at bottom of loop, it would be at osmolarity of 1200mOsm/L, taking salt also and leaving very concentrated blood
Functions of vasa recta
- Provide nutrients and oxygen to renal medulla
- Remove CO₂ and other metabolic waste products generated by cells in renal medulla
- Reabsorb 20% glomerular filtrate from fluid in loop of Henle
- Reabsorb a variable amount of salt and water from collecting ducts