The Urinary System

3
 Tubular Secretion

• Tubular secretion is the transfer of substances from the

peritubular capillaries into the tubular lumen.

• Hydrogen and potassium ions, along with organic anions,

are tubularly secreted.

• Hydrogen ions are secreted and removed from the blood

to oppose acidosis.

• Potassium is almost completely reabsorbed in the

proximal tubule.

• Potassium secretion in is controlled by aldosterone in the

distal tubule and collecting duct.
• As the basolateral pump transports sodium from the
lateral spaces, it pumps potassium into the tubular cells
(tubular secretion).

• Entering the lumen surrounded by these cells, it remains

in the urinary tract for elimination.

• Aldosterone stimulates the tubular cells to secrete

potassium if its plasma level is elevated.

• A rise in plasma potassium stimulates aldosterone from

the adrenal cortex.
Lumen Tubular cell Interstitial fluid Peritubular
capillary

Diffusion

K+
channel

Active
transport

Diffusion
 Na+/ ECF volume/
arterial pressure

Renin

Angiotensin I

Plasma K+ Angiotensin II

Aldosterone

Tubular K+ secretion Tubular Na+ reabsorption

Urinary K+ excretion Urinary Na+ excretion

• The secretion of organic anions and cations helps eliminate
foreign compounds.

• For example, some of these anions are bound to plasma

proteins and cannot be filtered.

• Tubular secretion eliminates them from the body.

• Blood-borne chemical messengers such as prostaglandins

and epinephrine.

• Foreign compounds eliminated by tubular secretion include

food additives.
 Plasma Clearance

• Plasma clearance is the volume of plasma cleared of a

particular substance per minute.

• It is the volume of plasma from which the substance is

removed, not the amount of the substance removed.

• Plasma clearance can be calculated.

• Clearance rate of a substance = Urine concentration of a

substance X Urine flow rate/ Plasma concentration of a
substance
 Peritubular
capillary

Glomerulus

Tubule

For a substance filtered and not reabsorbed

In or secreted, such as inulin, all of the filtered
urine plasma is cleared of the substance.
For a substance filtered,
not secreted, and completely
reabsorbed, such as glucose,
none of the filtered plasma
is cleared of the substance.
For a substance filtered,
not secreted, and partially
reabsorbed, such as urea, only
a portion of the filtered plasma
is cleared of the substance.
For a substance filtered and secreted
but not reabsorbed, such as hydrogen
ion, all of the filtered plasma is
cleared of the substance, and the
peritubular plasma from which the
substance is secreted is also cleared.
 Vertical Osmotic Gradient

• Depending on the body’s state of hydration, the kidneys

secrete urine of varying concentrations.

• A large, vertical osmotic gradient is established in the

interstitial fluid of the medulla (from 100 to 1200
mOsm/liter).

• This increase follows the hairpin loop of Henle deeper and

deeper into the medulla.

• This osmotic gradient exists between the tubular lumen and

the surrounding interstitial fluid.
 Medulla

Cortex

All values in mOsm/liter

• The medullary vertical osmotic gradient is established by
countercurrent multiplication.

• Comparing the descending and ascending limbs of the loop

of Henle:

• The descending limb is highly permeable to water but does

not extrude sodium for reabsorption.

• The ascending limb actively transports NaCl out of the

tubular lumen into the surrounding interstitial fluid. It is
impermeable to water.

• Therefore, water does not follow the salt by osmosis.

• There is a countercurrent flow produced by the close
proximity of the two limbs.

• The ascending limb produces an interstitial fluid that

becomes hypertonic to the ascending limb.

• It does this by pumping out sodium ions. Water does not

follow.

• This interstitial fluid faces against the flow of fluid

(countercurrent) in the descending limb, attracting the water
by osmosis for reabsorption.
 Glomerulus
Bowman’s capsule
Proximal tubule
Distal tubule

Cortex

Medulla

Long loop Collecting

of Henle tubule
 Vasopressin

• Vasopressin-controlled, variable water reabsorption occurs

in the final tubular segments.

• 65 percent of water reabsorption is obligatory in the

proximal tubule.

• In the distal tubule and collecting duct it is variable, based

on the secretion of ADH.

• The secretion of vasopressin increases the permeability of

the tubule cells to water.
• Vasopressin is produced in the hypothalamus and stored in
the posterior pituitary.

• The release of this substance signals the distal tubule and

collecting duct, facilitating the reabsorption of water.

• During a water deficit, the secretion of vasopressin

increases. This increases water reabsorption.

• During an excess of water, the secretion of vasopressin

decreases. Less water is reabsorbed, More is eliminated.
 From Filtrate has concentration
proximal of 100 mOsm/liter as it
tubule enters distal and
Distal tubule
collecting tubules

Cortex
*
Loop of Medulla
Henle *

In the Collecting
face
*
tubule
of a
water
deficit * Concentration of
urine may be up
to 1,200 mOsm/liter
as it leaves
collecting tubule

= passive diffusion of = portions of tubule

H2O impermeable to H2O
= active transport of NaCl * = permeability to H2O
increased by vasopressin
 From
proximal Filtrate has concentration
tubule of 100 mOsm/liter as it Distal tubule
enters distal and
collecting tubules

Cortex

Loop of Medulla
Henle

In the Collecting
face tubule
of a
water
excess
Concentration of
urine may be as low
as 100 mOsm/liter
as it leaves
collecting tubule

= passive diffusion of = portions of tubule

H2O impermeable to H2O

= active transport of NaCl * = permeability to H2O

increased by vasopressin