Urinary physiology Flashcards
(138 cards)
What are the 3 basic renal processes?
Filtration - formation at the glomerular capillaries of an essentially protein-free filtrate of plasma
Reabsorption - Substances that the body wants.
Secretion - Substances may be specifically removed from body in this way.
How much blood flow does the kidney receive?
1200mls/min - 20-25% of total cardiac output. Have almost the highest BF/g tissue of any tissue in the body.
Where is the blood filtered?
None of the red cells and only a fraction of the plasma is filtered into Bowman’s capsule.
Remainder passes via the efferent arterioles into the peritubular capillaries and then to renal vein.
How much of total BV does plasma account for? And what is the renal plasma flow?
55% of total
Renal plasma flow = 55% of 1200mls/min = 660mls/min.
What is Glomerular filtration?
What is its normal value?
First step in making urine - filter excess fluid and waste products out of blood and into urine collecting tubules.
Normally 125ml/min.
19% of renal plasma becomes glomerular filtrate.
What is Glomerular filtration dependent on?
Balance between hydrostatic forces favouring filtration and oncotic pressure forces favouring reabsorption.
What determines the permselectivity of glomerular barrier?
Molecular size
Electrical charge
Shape
Why is the Glomerular capillary pressure higher than in most of the capillaries in the body?
Afferent arteriole is short and wide so offers little resistance to flow. Blood arriving at glomerulus still has high hydrostatic pressure.
Unique arrangement of efferent arteriole (long and narrow) offers a high post-capillary resistance.
What is the golden rule of circulation?
If you have a high resistance, hydrostatic pressure upstream is increased, while pressure downstream is decreased.
What in terms of efferent and afferent contributes to very high Pgc.
Afferent and efferent arterioles contribute. At glomerular capillaries the hydrostatic P favouring filtration always exceeds the oncotic pressure.
What will be entering the glomerulus?
Fluid pressure created by fluid in bowman’s capsule.
Colloid osmotic pressure gradient due to proteins in plasma but not in Bowman;s capsule.
Osmotic effects driving fluids back into Bowman’s capsule.
What is leaving glomerulus?
Hydrostatic pressure (blood pressure).
What factors affect GFR?
PGC - dependent on afferent and efferent arteriolar diameter and the balance of resistance between them.
Extrinsic control:
- Sympathetic VC nerves - afferent and efferent constriction, (afferent greater sensitivity)
- Circulating catecholamines - constriction afferent.
- Angiotensin II - constriction of efferent [LOW], both afferent and efferent [HIGH]
What does renal vasculature have that helps it adjust it resistance in response to changes in arterial BP?
Well developed intrinsic ability.
Keeps BF and GFR essentially constant = auto regulation. (effective in range from 60-130mmHg)
When does auto regulation occur?
Independent of nerves or hormones, occurs in denervated and in isolated perfused kidneys.
* if mean arterial P increases, automatic increase in afferent arteriolar constriction, preventing a rise in glomerular PGC. (capillary pressure)
What can happen in situations where blood volume face serious compromise?
Interaction between intrinsic and extrinsic controls:
Activation of sympathetic VC nerves and ALL, can override auto regulation liberating blood for more immediate important organs.
800ml can thus be used to provide to perfuse other organs at expense of kidneys. Prolonged however can lead to damage.
How does filtration flow?
- Plasma volume entering afferent arteriole = 100%
- 20% of volume filters
- > 19% of fluid is reabsorbed
- > 99% of plasma entering kidney returns to systemic circulation
- <1% of volume is excreted to external environment
What are responsible for reabsorption?
Peritubular capillaries - unique efferent arterioles has important effects.
It offers resistance along its entire length, large P drop so hydrostatic pressure is very low.
Since the filtration fraction is 20% what does this mean for blood remaining in efferent arteriole?
Higher concentration of plasma proteins and therefore a higher ontotic pressure.
Favour reabsorption.
99% H2O, 100% glucose, 99.5% Na, 50% urea filtered at the glomerulus are reabsorbed within the tubule
How do you figure out the amount of solute excreted?
Amount filtered - amount reabsorbed + amount secreted.
Why is the Pressure in the peritubular capillaries very low?
Hydrostatic P overcoming frictional resistance in efferent arteriols.
Ontotic pressure is high compared to normal, loss of 20% plasma concentrates plasma protein.
What is the mechanisms of reabsorption?
Many substances are reabsorbed by carrier mediated transport systems e.g. glucose, amino acids, organic acids, sulphate and phosphate ions.
What is Tm?
Carriers have a maximum transport capacity which is due to saturation of the carriers.
If Tm is exceeded, then the excess substrate enters the urine.
What is the renal threshold?
Plasma threshold at which saturation occurs.