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Physiology of Renal Potassium Handling

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Renal Tubular Acidosis in Children

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Abstract

The kidney is the organ responsible for maintaining external potassium balance. Throughout the nephron’s tubular epithelium, reabsorption and secretion processes determine the total amount of potassium that is excreted in the urine. In this chapter, we describe these processes and discuss different factors that participate in their regulation, such as luminal flux, aldosterone, or plasma potassium concentration. In addition, examples of pathophysiologic disruptions of these mechanisms are included that cause alterations in plasma potassium concentration. Finally, we review proposed molecular mechanisms to explain the reciprocal relationship between renal potassium handling and acid-base balance, such as the modulation of potassium secretion by the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron in the setting of acid-base disturbances, or changes in ammonia synthesis in the proximal tubule in conditions of hypo- or hyperkalemia.

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  • 01 January 2022

    A correction has been published.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Nefrología y Metabolismo Mineral, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico

    Adrián Rafael Murillo-de-Ozores, Gerardo Gamba & María Castañeda-Bueno

Authors
  1. Adrián Rafael Murillo-de-Ozores
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  2. Gerardo Gamba
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  3. María Castañeda-Bueno
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to María Castañeda-Bueno .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

    Ricardo Muñoz

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Murillo-de-Ozores, A.R., Gamba, G., Castañeda-Bueno, M. (2022). Physiology of Renal Potassium Handling. In: Muñoz, R. (eds) Renal Tubular Acidosis in Children. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91940-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91940-5_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-91939-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-91940-5

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