Summary: Episode 19: Would you like to have an entire MP3 series dedicated to the MCAT? Well, that's what I'm working on right now. Listen to this Renal Physiology lecture for a sample of what's to come! Renal Physiology A. ECF/ICF ECF (1/3) = extracellular fluid of two compartments – vascular (1/3) and interstitial (2/3) ICF (2/3) = intracellular fluid compartment Example: how many liters of isotonic saline do you have to infuse to get 1 liter into the plasma? 3 Liters (2/3:1/3 relationship); 2 liters in interstial space, and 1 L would go to the vascular space; it equilibrates with interstial/vascular compartments. B. Osmolality = Measure of solutes in a fluid; due to three things: Na, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) – urea cycle is located in the liver, partly in the cytosol and partly in the mitochondria; usually multiply Na times 2 (b/c one Na and one Cl). Normal Na is 135-140 range, times that by 2 that 280. For glucose, normal is 100 divide that by 18, let’s say it’s roughly 5, so that’s not contributing much. BUN: located in the liver, part of the cycle is in the cytosol and part of it is in mitochondria. The urea comes from ammonia, that’s ammonia is gotten rid of, by urea. B/c the end product of the urea cycle is urea. The normal is about 12; divide that by 3, so we have 4. Therefore, in a normal person Na is controlling the plasma osmolality. To measure serum osmolality: double the serum Na and add 10. C. Osmosis = Among intracellular, intravascular, and interstitial spaces, 2 of these 3 are limited to the ECF compartment. One can equilibrate between ECF and ICF across the cell membranes – urea; therefore, with an increased urea, it can equilibrate equally on both sides to it will be equal on both sides; this is due to osmosis. B/c Na and glucose are limited to the ECF compartment, then changes in its concentration will result in the movement of WATER from low to high concentration (opposite of diffusion – ie in lungs, 100 mmHg in alveoli of O2, and returning from the tissue is 40 mmHg pO2; 100 vs. 40, which is bigger, 100 is bigger, so via diffusion, O2 moves through the interspace into the plasma to increase O2 to about 95mmHb). Therefore, in diffusion, it goes from high to low, while in osmosis, it goes from low to high concentration. 1. Hyponatremia Example: In the case with hyponatremia – water goes from ECF into the ICF, b/c the lower part is in the ECF (hence HYPOnatremia); water goes into the ICF, and therefore is expanded by osmosis. Now make believe that the brain is a single cell, what will we see? cerebral edema and mental status abnormalities via law of osmosis (the intracellular compartment of all the cells in the brain would be expanded) 2. Hypernatremia Example: hypernatremia – water goes out of the ICF into the ECF, therefore the ICF will be contracted. So in the brain, it will lead to contracted cells, therefore mental status abnormalities; therefore, with hypo and hypernatremia, will get mental status abnormalities of the brain. 3. Diabetic ketoacidosis Example: DKA – have (1000mg) large amount blood sugar. Remember that both Na and glucose are limited to the ECF compartment. You would think that glucose is in the ICF but it’s not. You think that since glycolysis occurs in the cytosol therefore glucose in the ICF (again its not) b/c to order to get into the cell (intracellular), glucose must bind to phosphorus, generating G6P, which is metabolized (it’s the same with fructose and galactose, which are also metabolized immediately, therefore, there is no glucose, fructose, or galactose, per se, intracellularly). So, with hyperglycemia, there is high glucose in the ECF, so water will move from ICF to ECF. Therefore, the serum Na concentration will go down – this is called dilutional hyponatremia (which is what happens to the serum sodium with hyperglycemia). Therefore the two things that contro
