title: Calcium handling by the mammalian kidney.
abstract: The mammalian kidney plays a crucial role in the Ca2+ homeostasis of the body. To maintain a net Ca2+ balance, more than 98% of the filtered load of Ca2+ must be reabsorbed along the nephron. There are two potential pathways through which net Ca2+ reabsorption can occur. First, a paracellular and passive route that predominates in the proximal tubules and thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Second, a transcellular, active transport that characterises Ca2+ reabsorption in the distal nephron. Transcellular Ca2+ transport involves passive influx across the luminal membrane, diffusion through the cytosol and active extrusion across the peritubular membrane. The rate of active Ca2+ reabsorption is controlled by the calciotropic hormones, i.e. parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. The application of new techniques in renal physiology has greatly increased our knowledge of the renal handling of Ca2+ and allowed the examination of Ca2+ transport processes at the cellular and subcellular level. This review focuses primarily on the mechanisms and regulation of transcellular Ca2+ transport. The distal nephron consists of at least four discrete segments and the contribution of each segment to active transcellular Ca2+ is discussed in detail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bindels
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000378:metabolism; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D002118:Calcium