What do kidneys do?
▪Filter your blood and clean it
▪Excrete waste
▪Regulate water and electrolytes: Na and K
▪Regulate acid base
▪Hormone secretion
▪Renin, angiotensin II
▪ Erythropoietin for RBC production
▪Activated vitamin D for bone metabolism
What’s the filtrate?
The liquid filtered by the glomerulus, before some of its content is reabsorbed and called urine
▪The filtrate (= ultrafiltrate) contains water, electrolytes, urea, Cr, sugar, amino acids
▪It does not contain cells, proteins, fats. Those stay in the glomerular capillary
What is the Glomerular Filtration Rate GFR?
▪GFR is the amount of plasma filtered through the glomeruli per unit time. It is expressed as ml/min.
▪It can refer to the function of a single nephron (SNGFR), but most often refers to the functions of all of the 2 million nephrons (i.e. both kidneys) collectively.
▪GFR assesses patient renal function.
▪Measurement of GFR relies on the concept of clearance
▪Clearance: how much of a substance is removed from the circulation by the kidney and put into the urine
▪The way we estimate GFR is by calculation of Creatinine clearance
▪CKD epi, MDRD, Cockroft Gault formulae are all acceptable (Schwartz formula in children)
▪Take into account patient’s age, ±weight, serum Cr (µmol/L) to estimate Cr clearance, and thus GFR
What are the Determinants of Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?
Kf : ultrafiltration coefficient- total capillary area available for filtration
PGC : transcapillary hydraulic pressure- favors filtration
PT or PBS: hydraulic pressure in tubule opposes filtration
π : transcapillary oncotic pressure, which opposes filtration

What is creatinine clearance?
▪Creatinine Clearance (CrCl) is an estimate of GFR
▪Creatinine: produced at a constant rate from plasma creatine, which comes from skeletal muscle. Cr has stable plasma concentration, is freely filtered at the glomerulus and stays in the tubule to be excreted. Filtered amount = excreted amount
▪GFR x Plasma concentration Cr = Urine concentration Cr x urine Volume
▪GFR = UV/P
▪male: 0.18 to 0.22 mmol/kg/day
▪female: 0.13 to 0.18 mmol/kg/day
▪If plasma Cr concentration goes up, means GFR is down.
What are the stages of kidney failure?

When can’t we use the Cockroft Gault’s formula to calculare GFR?
If the GFR is not steady
What are the autoregulation mechanisms of the kidney?
For a sudden rise or fall in systemic blood pressure, autoregulation occurs so that GFR does not rise or fall just because blood pressure rises or falls
In situations of major drop in systemic blood pressure there is:
▪BP too high? Myogenic mechanism constricts afferent arteriole
▪BP too low: AngII constricts efferent arteriole
▪Prostaglandins dilate glomerular afferent arteriole, to preserve GFR
▪TG feedback: if the distal tubule Cl is too low, means the GFR is low, so afferent arteriole opens up

What is the proximal tubule function?
What is the function of the Loop of Henle?
Two components to water regulation:
The thin descending limb of the loop is permeable to water and the thick ascending limb moves Na out via active Na transport by the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter in the apical (tubular) side and reabsorb Ca and Mg
What is the function of the distal collecting tubule?
What is the function of the collecting tubule?
What is the major difference between water and sodium reabsorption?
What’s the Total Body Water (TBW) ?
= .6 of Body Weight

What’s the osmolarity equation?
Posm = [Na] x 2 + [urea] + [glucose] ≈ 275-290 mosm/kg
Not albumin because it’s a protein therefore contributes to oncotic pressure
What is the action of ADH / Vasopressin ?
Stimulation:
What are the determinants of the water regulation in the collecting duct?
What does alcohol do on ADH?
It supresses it so you piss a lot
What is the Vasa Recta?
What is the important channel in the Thick Ascending Limb- TAL that reabsorbs sodium?
The Na-K-2Cl channel
How is Na controled in the body?
Changes in intake and body Na content are sensed by pressure receptors in vascular wall (felt as volume), the renal afferent arteriole and the heart. Activation of these receptors leads to changes in renin angiotensin aldo axis, sympathetic system, vasopressin and Atrial Naturetic Peptide, ANP.

How is Na reabsorbed in the PCT?
How is Na reabsorbed in the Thick Ascending Limb Loop of Henle?
How is Na reabsorbed in the DCT?