Kidney Tubule Epithelium
Kidney Tubule Epithelium - Related Videos
07:06
Isolation of Primary Human Proximal Tubule Epithelial Cells and Their Use in Creating a Microphysiological Model of the Renal Proximal Tubule
0 Views •
Cited by 3 •
2025
We present an optimized protocol for processing whole human kidneys to isolate and culture primary renal proximal tubule epithelial cells and the application of these cells in a three-dimensional, microfluidic, microphysiological platform to recapitulate the renal proximal tubule.
08:19
The Mouse Isolated Perfused Kidney Technique
0 Views •
Cited by 24 •
2016
The mouse isolated perfused kidney (MIPK) is a technique for keeping a mouse kidney under ex vivo conditions perfused and functional for 1 hr. The buffers and surgical technique are described in detail.
01:45
Kidney Structure
0 Views •
2019
The kidneys are two large bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdomen. They filter the blood several times a day to remove toxins and rebalance water and electrolytes of the circulatory system via the renal veins. The kidneys receive blood directly from the heart via the renal arteries. These arteries enter the kidney at the hilum, the concave surface of the bean, where they branch and divide into smaller vessels and capillaries. The renal cortex is the thick outer layer of the kidney. It...
10:31
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice
0 Views •
2025
Here, we present a detailed protocol for proteomic analysis of the whole kidney, isolated cortical tubule, and medullary proteomes. The study also compares regional proteomes in a diabetic mouse model and non-diabetic mice.
07:40
Dissection of the Adult Zebrafish Kidney
0 Views •
Cited by 38 •
2011
The zebrafish kidney is home to both renal and hematopoietic adult stem/progenitor cells, and represents an outstanding opportunity to study these cell types and their progeny in a vertebrate model organism. Here, we demonstrate a detailed dissection procedure that enables the researcher to identify and surgically remove the adult zebrafish kidney, which can be used for applications such as cell isolation, transplantation, and expression studies of kidney and/or blood cell populations.
FAQs
Segment specialization allows the proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule, and collecting duct to make different contributions to the same tubular fluid. Their distinct permeability properties, transporters, and ion channels produce coordinated changes as filtrate moves through the nephron. This arrangement supports both selective recovery of useful substances and progressive control of urine concentration.
Membrane transporters and ion channels provide selective routes for moving water, sodium, glucose, and other ions across epithelial cells. Together with active transport, they determine which substances leave the tubular fluid for reabsorption and which enter it through secretion. Their activity therefore links cellular membrane properties with whole-body regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance.
Reabsorption retrieves useful substances from tubular fluid, whereas secretion adds selected wastes and excess ions to it. Operating together, these processes adjust the filtrate rather than simply removing water or solutes indiscriminately. Their coordinated action helps the kidney influence electrolyte levels and acid–base balance while determining the final composition of urine.
A useful analysis compares the nephron’s tubular segments and considers their selective permeability, membrane transporters, ion channels, and active transport processes. Researchers can then relate these cellular features to changes in filtrate composition and urine concentration along the nephron. This approach connects epithelial structure and function with broader questions in transport physiology.
Studies of this epithelium can investigate how tubular cells contribute to kidney development, renal disease, drug toxicity, and epithelial transport physiology. Examining segment-specific transport and changes in tubular fluid provides a framework for relating cellular behavior to kidney function. The same system therefore supports both basic biological research and investigations of clinically relevant renal processes.
The tubule is a relevant research focus because its cells actively modify filtrate through selective transport, reabsorption, and secretion. Research can examine how these functions relate to renal disease or how drug toxicity may affect tubular epithelial behavior. Such studies connect changes at the epithelial level with altered fluid, electrolyte, acid–base, or urine-concentration outcomes.