Glomerular basement membrane

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Glomerular basement membrane
Glomerulus. (Diagram in French, but "Membrane basale glomerulaire et ses podocytes" labeled near center.)
MeSH glomerular+basement+membrane
Dorlands/Elsevier m_08/12522684

The glomerular basement membrane is the basal laminal portion of the glomerulus which performs the actual filtration though the filtration slits between the podocytes , separating the blood on the inside from the filtrate on the outside. It is a fusion of the endothelial cell and podocyte basal laminas. [1]

Contents

[edit] Layers

The GBM contains three layers: [2]

Layer Location Composition Function
lamina rara externa adjacent to podocyte processes heparan sulfate blocks by charge
lamina densa dark central zone type 4 collagen and laminin blocks by size (MW > 69,000)
lamina rara interna adjacent to endothelial cells heparan sulfate blocks by charge

[edit] Pathology

  • Goodpasture's syndrome is also known as "anti-glomerular basement membrane disease". Capillaries become inflamed as a result of damage to the basement membrane by antibodies.
  • Diabetic glomerulosclerosis is a thickening of the basement membrane, which can become up to 4-5 times thicker than normal. Can be caused by insulin deficiency or resultant hyperglycemia.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Physiology at MCG 7/7ch04/7ch04p07 - "Basement Membrane"
  2. ^ JCI - New articles published

[edit] External links