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Micropuncturing the nephron

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Abstract

To achieve the role of the kidney in maintaining body homeostasis, the renal vasculature, the glomeruli, and the various segments of the nephron and the collecting duct system have to fulfill very diverse and specific functions. These functions are dependent on a complex renal architecture and are regulated by systemic hemodynamics, hormones, and nerves. As a consequence, to better understand the physiology of the kidney, methods are necessary that allow insights on the function of these diverse structures in the physiological context of the intact kidney. The renal micropuncture technique allows direct access to study superficial nephrons in vivo. In this review, the application of micropuncture techniques on the single nephron level is outlined as an approach to better understand aspects of glomerular filtration, tubular transport, and tubulo-glomerular communication. Studies from the author’s lab, including experiments in gene-targeted mice, are briefly presented to illustrate some of the approaches and show how they can further advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of kidney function.

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Acknowledgement

The author was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Heart Association (0655232Y), and the National Institutes of Health (DK56248, DK28602, GM66232, DK070667, DK079784).

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  1. Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego & VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive (9151), San Diego, CA, 92161, USA

    Volker Vallon

  2. Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA

    Volker Vallon

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Correspondence to Volker Vallon.

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Vallon, V. Micropuncturing the nephron. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 458, 189–201 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-008-0581-7

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