#renal

Micromanagers

There's a population of cells in our kidneys called renin cells which, although they have a big job, are hard to find (being 0.01% of all kidney cells) by conventional tissue analysis methods. They're responsible for regulating blood pressure by secreting the enzyme renin to change fluid volumes and vessel constriction accordingly. Here, although so rare, renin cell development, situation and interactions with other cells and nerves have been revealed without disrupting the architecture of the kidney. Using techniques including tissue clearing and high-res 3D imaging (renin cells shown in green among the mouse kidney structures highlighted in red), renin cells are found to be the organisers of their local nerve/hormone microenvironment

Read the published research article here

Video from work by Manako Yamaguchi and colleagues

Department of Pediatrics Child Health Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA

Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Journal of Clinical Investigation inSIGHT, July 2026

Kira photodump! Content warning for pet medical talk.

Kira has been diagnosed with stage 2 chronic kidney disease. To manage her CKD, my partner and I are starting by looking for prescription renal food she can tolerate, but there have been some complications along the way. A nasty reaction to a probiotic that was supposed to help her adjust to new food means we have to take a step back and return to her old food for now. She also got a UTI on top of everything else 😭

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Rennala’s kids: You Should Kill Yourself Right Now ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔🌙✨🌌🌠

Marika’s kids to tarnished: foul tarnished, thy mere existence is a blight on thy Dreamer. Begone, rid thyself of them at once, and sully them no further.

Save what can be saved: Day 10/48

Hey!

Histology. I've always found histology too detailed and boring, but only after my clinical rotations that I came to realize how important it is. Histology is the basis of medicine.

Oedema is swelling due to excess fluids in tissues.

In pitting oedema, pressing on the affected area leaves an indentation (that persists after removing the pressure). In non-pitting oedema, the area feels firm to touch and does not form indentations.

Pitting oedema:

The excess fluid is mainly composed of water

Commonly caused by heart failure, venous insufficiency, or nephrotic syndrome

Non-pitting oedema:

The excess fluid consists of water WITH protein and salts

Usually indicates a condition of the thyroid / lymphatic system

Different types:

Lymphoedema is due to a build-up of lymphatic fluid (e.g. due to a tumour blocking lymphatic flow / after removal of lymph nodes).

Myxoedema occurs in hypothyroidism and often affected the pretibial or periorbital area.

Angioedema is localised swelling of the skin and is usually due to allergic reactions. It typically affects the face, tongue, larynx, abdomen, arms, and legs. When the larynx is affected, it may affect breathing, which is an emergency!

Lipoedema is when fat accumulates in subcutaneous tissues - it usually affects the legs/buttocks and almost exclusively occurs in postpubertal females (not the same as cellulite!)

Levetiracetam (Keppra) is one of the few anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) that is renally secreted. If a patient with seizures on Keppra has renal failure and cannot or does not want to be switched to a different AED, they can have their Keppra renally dosed (after dialysis). Keppra overdose can cause sleepiness, aggression/behavioral problems (peds>adults), hypertension (peds), vomiting.

24/1/22 // 07.03