1

BIOC34; Human Physiology II

Assignment #4 (2022): PhysioEx Lab 9 (Renal System Physiology)
Due Date: Sunday, March 20, 2022
Perform the experiments in PhysioEx lab 9 (Renal System Physiology). Provide the results requested and
answer the three (3) questions below. There are a total of 25 marks.

Please note, to facilitate marking of the assignments you should properly space your answers to allow the
marker to easily see where your answer is. For example, in questions 1 and 2, do not write one large
block of text that covers all four medications in each question. Write about each medication in a separate
paragraph and separate paragraphs with a blank line.

Activity 1: The Effects of Arteriole Radius on Glomerular Filtration

Provide the data recorded from the experiments in this section (i.e., chart 1). (1 mark)

Activity 2: The Effect of Pressure on Glomerular Filtration

Provide the data recorded from the experiments in this section (i.e., chart 2). (1 mark)
 2

Activity 3: Renal Response to Altered Blood Pressure

Provide the data recorded from the experiments in this section (i.e., chart 3). (1 mark)

Activity 4: Solute Gradients and Their Impact on Urine Concentration

Provide the data recorded from the experiments in this section (i.e., chart 4). (1 mark)

Activity 5: Reabsorption of Glucose via Carrier Proteins

Provide the data recorded from the experiments in this section (i.e., chart 5). (1 mark)

Activity 6: The Effect of Hormones on Urine Filtration

Provide the data recorded from the experiments in this section (i.e., chart 6). (1 mark)
 3

Questions

1) A diuretic is a substance that causes diuresis (i.e., causes increased urine production/flow). Different
diuretics work via different mechanisms. Describe the mode of action for each of the following types of
diuretics. (10 marks)

Loop diuretics - This group of diuretics is focused on the loop of Henle within the kidney. It is mainly
used for its potent factors, compared to other diuretic. This is due to its ability to eliminate sodium and
chloride, and reabsorption factors.

Potassium-sparing diuretics - produce a mild diuretic effect by blocking the Na/K exchange pump in
the distal tubule. It causes the excretion of sodium and water while preventing the loss of potassium in the
urine.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors - are weak diuretics that decrease the secretion of hydrogen ions by the
proximal renal tubule, with increased loss of bicarbonate and sodium

Thiazide-like diuretics - this group of diuretics focuses on the distal consulted tubules, located in the
renal tubules of the kidney. It is mainly used to facilitate the elimination of sodium and chloride within
the body, by inhibiting reabsorption factors.

Osmotic diuretics - this group of diuretics is focused on the increasing the osmolarity within the renal
filtrate and renal blood vessels. It is mainly used to inhibit the bodies response to the reabsorption of
water, sodium, and chloride within the renal filtrate and renal vessels

2) A patient with hard-to-control hypertension has been prescribed the following combination of
medications: atenolol, perindopril, and nifedipine. Based on the material covered in the lectures,
describe how each of these medications serves to lower blood pressure. The effects may be direct or
indirect. There may be more than one effect per drug. Do not answer using generic “lay-person”
descriptions of function that can be found on the drug-information sites meant to inform patients what
their medications are doing. (6 marks)

Atenolol is a type of beta-blocker, which is in charge of changing the way a body responds to
impulses. It blocks the action of epinephrine within the heart and its blood vessels. Its affect is to slow
down the heart rate, by decreasing blood being pumped around the body via the heart. Thus, the resting of
the systolic and diastolic, reduces blood pressure when using atenolol. It also lowers the strain placed
upon the heart.
Perindopril is a type of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, which is in charge of reducing
the supine systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, within baseline values using hypertension.
Its affect is to lower and widen the blood vessel, thus lowering the blood pressure, making pumping blood
within the heart easier.
Nifedipine is a type of calcium channel blocker, charged with controlling blood pressure by
releasing stress factors to the blood vessels. Which in turn helps the heart pump blood to the body, ensure
oxygen levels remain stable. Its affect is to release the pressure placed upon the blood vessels, easing the
hearts pressure, making pumping blood within the heart easier. This also reduces constant chest pains.
 4

3) A patient goes to the doctor complaining about excessive thirst, frequent urination and weight loss. She
gets up several times during the night to urinate. She is also drinking excessive amounts of water and has
lost approximately 4 kg of body weight in about a month.

Tests reveal a blood glucose level of 500 mg/dl, a blood pH value of 7.27 and her urine tests positive for
the presence of glucose and ketone bodies.

a) Why is blood pH low? In this particular case, what is the name of this clinical condition? (1
mark)

The blood pH is low this case because the body has accumulated an increased amount of ketone bodies.
Ketone bodies are known to be acidic in nature, thus detrimental body. The name of the clinical name for
this condition is called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)

b) This patient is constantly hyperventilating. Why is this occurring? (1 mark)

The patient constantly hyperventilates because they are in a diabetic ketoacidosis state of metabolic
acidosis. This occurs when the body requires to compensate for the loss of metabolic acidosis, by
increasing its release of acidic components through the respiratory tract. Thus, the body goes into a state
of acidosis, where the body expels extreme amounts of carbon dioxide, through exhalation as a
compensatory mechanism. Thus, causing hyperventilation

c) Why does this patient urinate frequently? (1 mark)

This patient urinates frequently because the blood glucose levels are extremely high with in the diabetic
ketoacidosis levels. This happens when the blood goes into a hyperosmotic state, thus extracting water
from the intracellular component into plasma of the blood. Forcing the body into a polyuria condition,
this means the body is forced to expel blood through urination. This causes a patent suffering from
hyperosmotic state, as well as increase their water intake.