Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2025

Physiology Lab Demonstration: Glomerular Filtration Rate in a Rat
Published on: July 26, 2015
GDF15, an Emerging Player in Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology
Samia Lasaad1, Gilles Crambert2,3
1Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Abstract:
These last years, the growth factor GDF15 has emerged as a key element in many different biological processes. It has been established as being produced in response to many pathological states and is now referred to as a stress-related hormone. Regarding kidney functions, GDF15 has been involved in different pathologies such as chronic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy, renal cancer, and so on. Interestingly, recent studies also revealed a role of GDF15 in the renal homeostatic mechanisms allowing to maintain constant, as far as possible, the plasma parameters such as pH and K+ values. In this review, we recapitulate the role of GDF15 in physiological and pathological context by focusing our interest on its renal effect.
Related Concept Videos
Glomerular Filtration Rate and its Regulation
GFR regulation involves two primary intrinsic controls: the myogenic and tubuloglomerular feedback mechanisms.
The myogenic...
Renal Drug Excretion: Glomerular Filtration
Drugs gain access to the kidney via the renal artery, which progressively branches off into afferent arterioles....
Renal Failure: Dose Adjustments
Reduced renal clearance and elimination rate are common outcomes of renal impairment. These alterations lead to a prolonged elimination half-life and an altered apparent volume of distribution for drugs. As a result, dosage adjustments are typically necessary to maintain optimal drug levels in the body.
However, dosage adjustments...
Factors Affecting Renal Clearance: Renal Impairment
One condition associated with renal failure is uremia. Uremia is characterized by impaired glomerular filtration and fluid accumulation in the body. This condition hinders the renal clearance of drugs, resulting in drug accumulation and potential...
Renal Drug Excretion: Overview
A nephron consists of two primary structures: the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle contains the glomerulus, a network of capillaries where the first step of renal excretion, glomerular filtration, occurs. Blood pressure forces water, ions, and small molecules...
Dialysis
Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...

