Physiological Working of Osmotic Diuretics
The renal proximal tubule is the primary site of action of osmotic diuretics.
Normally, water molecules follow Na+ out of the proximal tubule, resulting in Na+ and water reabsorption. When osmotic diuretics are introduced, they hold onto water molecules in the tubule. Since the luminal membrane is quite leaky to Na+, this causes a high back leak of Na+ into the tubule.
Na+ is normally followed by K+ and Cl- out of the proximal tubule. When there is high back leak of Na+, these electrolytes stay in the tubule and are lost through urine.
Note: Glucose is completely reabsorbed by the kidneys but not Mannitol.
Read more about this topic: Osmotic Diuretic
Famous quotes containing the words working and/or osmotic:
“She isnt harassed. Shes busy, and its glamorous to be busy. Indeed, the image of the on- the-go working mother is very like the glamorous image of the busy top executive. The scarcity of the working mothers time seems like the scarcity of the top executives time.... The analogy between the busy working mother and the busy top executive obscures the wage gap between them at work, and their different amounts of backstage support at home.”
—Arlie Hochschild (20th century)
“Life begins at sixat least in the minds of six-year-olds. . . . In kindergarten you are the baby. In first grade you put down the baby. . . . Every first grader knows in some osmotic way that this is real life. . . . First grade is the first step on the way to a place in the grown-up world.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)