The bigger the better: determining nephron size in kidney. Pediatr Nephrol 2014 Apr;29(4):525-30
Date
08/27/2013Pubmed ID
23974984Pubmed Central ID
PMC3944135DOI
10.1007/s00467-013-2581-xScopus ID
2-s2.0-84896703200 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 13 CitationsAbstract
The main functions of the kidney are to excrete metabolic waste products and actively reabsorb essential molecules such as amino acids, ions, glucose and water. In humans, a wide range of genetic disorders exist characterized by wasting of metabolically important compounds. At the cellular level, more than 20 highly specialized renal epithelial cell types located in different segments of the nephron contribute to the reabsorption process. In particular, proximal tubular cells play a crucial role and are uniquely adapted to maximize reabsorption efficiency. They accommodate high numbers of transporters and channels by increasing the apical surface area in contact with the primary filtrate by forming a brush border as well as undergoing hypertrophy and hyperplasia. This adaptation is evolutionarily conserved and is detected in the primitive pronephric kidney of fish and amphibians as well as the metanephric kidney of higher vertebrates. Surprisingly, signaling pathways regulating these three processes have remained largely unknown. Here we summarize recent studies that highlight the early phases of kidney development as a critical juncture in establishing proximal tubule size.
Author List
Wessely O, Cerqueira DM, Tran U, Kumar V, Hassey JM, Romaker DMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsHumans
Nephrons