The kidney of vertebrates plays a major role in the homeostasis of the extracellular fluid. Despite large changes in water and salt intake, the kidney is able to maintain the extracellular osmolarity and volume within very narrow margins. Such fine…
In this chapter we review the transport of ions by the loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule, the connecting tubule, and the collecting duct. We will place special emphasis on the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for Na + transport…
The principal function of the proximal tubule is the reabsorption of some two-thirds to three-quarters of the glomerular filtrate. This means, primarily, reabsorption of Na + , Cl − , HCO 3 − , and in smaller quantities potassium, phosphate,…
This chapter reviews the molecular physiology of the NaCl co-transporters, with emphasis on the thick ascending limb of Henle’s loop Na + -Cl − co-transporter and the distal convoluted tubule Na + -Cl − co-transporter that serve as the receptors…
Recent years have marked an exciting time in the field of anion channel research. More and more of the molecular identities of the functional anion channel groups have been discovered and this new knowledge has given us an expanded view…
Epithelial Na + channels (ENaCs) have a key role in the regulation of extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure. Over the two decades since the initial characterization of ENaCs at a molecular level, investigators have identified key structural features within…
The idea that the kidney is an organ needs to be tempered by the realization that it is the nephron that is the organ. Each nephron, as far as we know, is independent from other nephrons, and the kidney is…
The tight regulation of cell growth and division within an organ is essential for the development and maintenance of correct structure and function. Perturbations of renal growth occurring either developmentally or following injury to mature renal cells contribute to the…
The adult kidney functions to keep the organism in a steady state and protect against changes in the volume and composition of the extracellular fluid. Unlike the adult, the neonate must be in positive balance for several solutes to promote…
Among all of the capillaries in the body, the glomerulus is arguably the most unusual and important, if not the most aesthetically interesting. In this chapter, we review the morphogenesis of this unique capillary, discuss the origins of its cells…