Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Renal reserve during human pregnancy

S N Sturgiss1, R Wilkinson, J M Davison

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.

The American Journal of Physiology
|July 1, 1996
PubMed
Summary

Pregnancy does not impair kidney function, even with increased blood flow. Studies show healthy pregnant women maintain normal kidney responses to amino acid infusions, indicating preserved renal reserve.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Intrauterine growth rate in pregnancies complicated by type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Obstetric medicine·2016
Same author

Mutant allele-specific imbalance modulates prognostic impact of KRAS mutations in colorectal adenocarcinoma and is associated with worse overall survival.

International journal of cancer·2012
Same author

Reference values for clinical chemistry tests during normal pregnancy.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2008
Same author

Assessment of glomerular filtration rate during pregnancy using the MDRD formula.

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2007
Same author

Sex and the pregnant kidney: does renal allograft gender influence gestational renal adaptation in renal transplant recipients?

Transplantation proceedings·2004
Same author

Is normalisation of serum potassium and magnesium always necessary in Gitelman Syndrome for a successful obstetric outcome?

BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology·2004

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Physiology
  • Reproductive Medicine

Background:

  • Pregnancy is characterized by significant increases in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF).
  • A key question is whether these hemodynamic changes during pregnancy deplete renal reserve.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the hyperfiltration observed in normal pregnancy attenuates or exhausts renal reserve.
  • To assess the renal hemodynamic response to amino acid infusion during different stages of pregnancy and postpartum.

Main Methods:

  • Serial measurements of GFR and ERPF in 21 healthy women during early pregnancy, late pregnancy, and postpartum.
  • Inulin and p-aminohippurate clearances were used to determine GFR and ERPF, respectively.
  • Infusions of amino acids (Vamin 9) or a control solution (Hartman's) were administered.

Main Results:

  • Amino acid infusion significantly increased GFR in early pregnancy (18%), late pregnancy (10%), and postpartum (12%).
  • ERPF also increased significantly with amino acid infusion during all studied periods (early pregnancy: 12%, late pregnancy: 13%, postpartum: 10%).
  • No significant changes in GFR were observed during the control infusion, confirming the specificity of the response to amino acids.

Conclusions:

  • Pregnancy-induced hyperfiltration does not attenuate the renal response to amino acid challenge.
  • Healthy pregnancy maintains renal reserve, demonstrating the kidneys' capacity to respond to physiological stimuli.
  • Renal hemodynamics remain responsive despite substantial gestational increases in GFR and ERPF.

Related Experiment Videos