L10 - Physiology of thirst and fluid balance and its disorders Flashcards
(50 cards)
Featured hormones in the physiology of thirst and fluid balance
- Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH)
- Arginine vasopressin (AVP)
Examples of pathophysiology - thirst and fluid balance
- Polyuria and polydipsia - diabetes insipidus
- Hyponatraemia - syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH)
Why is regulation of water balance important
- Regulation of water balance ensures plasma osmolality(and extracellular fluid osmolality) remains stable
- Narrow range of plasma osmolality - 285-295 mosmol/kg
3 key determinants involved in the regulation of water balance
- Antidiuretic hormone - osmotically stimulated secretion
- Kidney - wide variation in urine output (0.5-20 L/day)
- Thirst - osmoregulated, stimulates fluid intake
What are osmoreceptors
- Groups of specialised cells which detect changes in plasma osmolality (esp sodium)
Location of osmoreceptors
- Located in the anterior wall of 3rd ventricle
- Fenestrations in the blood-brain barrier allow circulating solutes(osmoles) to influence brain osmoreceptors
What do osmoreceptors respond to
- Osmoreceptor cells alter their volume by a transmembrane flux of water in response to changes in plasma osmolality
- This initiates neuronal impulses that are transmitted to the hypothalamus to synthesise ADH, and to the cerebral cortex to register thirst
What is arginine vasopressin
- Human form of ADH
- Nonapeptide - 9 amino acid peptide
Where is vasopressin synthesised
- In neurons in supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus
- Secretory granules migrate down axons to posterior pituitary from where AVP is released ww
Where are AVP and copeptin released
- AVP and copeptin are released into capillaries of the portal system that transport copeptin to the anterior pituitary
Where are AVP and copeptin stored
- AVP and copeptin storage occurs in axons in the posterior pituitary
What does AVP stimulate the release of
- AVP stimulates endocrine cells to release ACTH from anterior pituitary
Receptors that mediate ADH action in the kidney
- V2 receptors
Where are ADH-sensitive water channels (aquapprins) normally stored
- In cytoplasmic vesicles, moves to and fuses with the luminal membrane
Effect of ADH
- Increases water permeability of renal collecting tubules, promoting water reabsorption
- When ADH cleared, water channels removed from the luminal surface (endocytosis) and returned to cytoplasm
Effects of low plasma osmolality on osmoregulation
- AVP undetectable
- Dilute urine
- High urine output
- No thirst
Effects of high plasma osmolality on osmoregulation
- High AVP secretion
- Concentrated urine
- Low urine output
Effect of high osmolality on thirst
- Increased thirst sensation
- Drinking immediately transiently suppresses AVP secretion and thirst (avoids overshoot)
Relationship between plasma AVP and plasma osmolality/urine osmolality
- Direct correlation
- Plasma vasopressin levels increase with plasma osmolality
Link between urine osmolality and plasma vasopressin levels
- Urine osmolality increases with plasma vasopressin levels
Three other main causes of polyuria and polydipsia
- Cranial (central) diabetes insipidus (DI) - lack of osmoregulated AVP secretion
- Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (DI) - lack of response of the renal tubule to AVP
- Primary polydipsia - psychogenic polydipsia, social/cultural
All may be ‘partial’
What is primary polydipsia
Is characterised by excessive fluid intake in the absence of physiological stimuli to drink
- Driven by primary stimulation of the thirst centre in the hypothalamus
What is diabetes insipidus
Diabetes insipidus (DI) is caused by a problem with either the production, or action, of the hormone vasopressin (AVP).
If you have DI your kidneys are unable to retain water. This leads to the production of large volumes of urine and, in turn, greatly increased thirst
What can cause diabetes insipidus
- Lack of vasopressin production by the pituitary