A study of nephron function in normal tropical residents using the creatinine and lithium clearances |
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Authors: | S K Arthur A K Nyarko J Y Asaku A Y Akyeampong |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Physiology, Ghana Medical School, P.O. Box 4236, Accra, Ghana, GH;(2) Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana, GH |
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Abstract: | The kidney bears the brunt of the demands of a tropical climate for water and electrolyte homeostasis. We hypothesised that
a tropical climate may cause adaptive changes in the entire organism leading to altered renal function in our subjects. Hence
renal function data for residents of a temperate climate may not be applic- able to tropical residents. We therefore sought
to elucidate renal function in subjects residing in a tropical climate. We used lithium clearance, C
Li, a non-invasive tool for assessing proximal tubular function in humans, and endogenous creatinine clearance, C
Cr, to estimate proximal tubular function and glomerular function, respectively, in our subjects. We did this in order to establish
whether or not nephron function in our subjects differs from that for residents of a temperate climate. Nineteen male and
12 female Ghanaian subjects aged between 15 and 48 years were studied. The estimated G
Cr
was 117.3±6.6 ml/min for male subjects and 97±6.4 ml/min for female subjects. C
Li was 20.3±1.6 ml/min for male and 19.1±0.4 ml/min for female subjects, respectively. The estimated absolute reabsorption rate
of fluid of proximal tubules was 97.0±6.0 ml/min for males and 78.1±6.0 ml/min for females. The percentage proximal fluid
reabsorption for male and female subjects was 81.2±1.4 and 79.5±1.6, respectively. The differences between male and female
values (mean±SEM) were not statistically significant. The data suggest that the proximal tubule in residents of a tropical
climate may reabsorb more fluid compared to that in residents of a temperate climate. Our values for proximal tubular reabsorption
are higher than those reported for residents of a temperature climate. Our estimate of glomerular filtration, however, is
similar to published data for Caucasians. The difference in proximal tubular function may reflect possible renal adaptation
to a hot, humid climate. We conclude that renal function of tropical residents differs from that of residents of a temperate
climate. This difference may be due to renal adaptation to the hot, tropical climate.
Received: 1 July 1996 / Revised: 22 December 1996 / Accepted: 8 January 1997 |
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Keywords: | Tropical climate Ghanaians Lithium clearance Nephron Reabsorption |
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