Physiology of the developing kidney: Sodium and water homeostasis and its disorders

Abstract

Salt and water are the stuff of life [1, 2]. The ancient and the modern voices have been invoked in the past to demonstrate that human beings intuitively appreciate the critical role played by sodium and water balance for the integrity of the plasma compartment and for continued existence on land. The third time around, I turn to a towering contemporary figure of our age as inspiration for this chapter. The material will review the physiological mechanisms involved in the control of sodium and water homeostasis. This knowledge will provide a basis for the analysis of the diseases that arise when these systems malfunction and a guide to the optimal therapy of conditions associated with excessive or deficient total body sodium and water.