Reabsorption and Secretion Flashcards
Describe the Starling’s forces in the peritubular capillaries
Ppc very low as hydrostatic pressure is overcoming frictional resistance in efferent arterioles
IIp (oncotic) high compared to normal as loss of 20% plasma conc.
IIp > Ppc so favours reabsorption
Explain substances reabsorbed by carrier mediated transport systems
Carriers have a maximum transport capacity - Tm which is due to saturation of carriers
If Tm exceeded then substrate enters urine
Ex. glucose, aa, organic acids, sulphate and phosphate ions
What is renal threshold?
Plasma threshold at which saturation occurs
What do carrier proteins enable?
Larger molecules such as glucose to cross the membrane but capacity is limited by number of carriers
Explain the titration curve of glucose
Glucose is freely filtered so whatever it’s plasma conc. is how much is filtered
Plasma glucose can go up to 10mmoles/l - renal threshold for glucose
Beyond this then it appears in urine
What is responsible for the regulation of glucose?
Insulin and counter regulatory hormone responsible
Kidneys do not regulate
Why is Tm for glucose set so high?
All valuable nutrient is normally reabsorbed
Normal glucose conc. is 5mmoles/l
What is the reason for appearance of glucose in urine in a diabetic?
Failure of insulin and not the kidney
What substrates does the kidney regulate by means of the Tm mechanism?
Sulphate and phosphate ions
Tm is set at level of normal plasma conc. causes saturation
Anything above is excreted - plasma regulation
Also, PTH decreases reabsorption of phosphate ions
How is Na reabsorbed?
By active transport - not Tm mechanism
This establishes a gradient for Na ions across the tubule wall
How much Na is reabsorbed each day?
99.5% is reabsorbed
25560mmoles/day
65-75% in proximal tubule
Explain active Na+ pumps
Located on basolateral surfaces where there is a high density of mitochondria
This decreases Na in epithelial cells which increases Na gradient to move ions into cells passively across luminal membrane
How does Na passively move into cell if not permeable at cell membranes?
Brush border of proximal tubule cells has a higher permeability for Na ions than other membranes in the body - due to massive surface area and Na channels
What is the reabsorption of Na ions the key to?
Reabsorption of other components of the filtrate
Explain the passive movement of Cl- ions across tubular membrane
Negative ions like Cl diffuse passively down the electrical gradient established and maintained by active transport of Na ions