Ultrastructure of the kidney of a South American caecilian, Typhlonectes compressicaudus (Amphibia, Gymnophiona). II. Distal tubule, connecting tubule, collecting duct and Wolffian duct

Effects of the environment on the evolution of the vertebrate urinary tract

Evolution of the vertebrate urinary system occurs in response to numerous selective pressures, which have been incompletely characterized. Developing research into urinary evolution led to the occurrence of clinical applications and insights in paediatric urology, reproductive medicine, urolithiasis and other domains. Each nephron segment and urinary organ has functions that can be contextualized within an evolutionary framework. For example, the structure and function of the glomerulus and proximal tubule are highly conserved, enabling blood cells and proteins to be retained, and facilitating the elimination of oceanic Ca+ and Mg+. Urea emerged as an osmotic mediator during evolution, as cells of large organisms required increased precision in the internal regulation of salinity and solutes. As the first vertebrates moved from water to land, acid-base regulation was shifted from gills to skin and kidneys in amphibians. In reptiles and birds, solute regulation no longer occurred through the skin but through nasal salt glands and post-renally, within the cloaca and the rectum. In placental mammals, nasal salt glands are absent and the rectum and urinary tracts became separate, which limited post-renal urine concentration and led to the necessity of a kidney capable of high urine concentration. Considering the evolutionary and environmental selective pressures that have contributed to renal evolution can help to gain an increased understanding of renal physiology.

Morphology of the kidney in the West African caecilian,Geotrypetes seraphini(Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae)

This study deals with the morphology and ultrastructure of the mesonephros in adult caecilians of the species Geotrypetes seraphini. Based on serial sections in paraffin and araldite, nephrons are reconstructed and the cellular characteristics of different nephron segments described. The long and slender mesonephric kidneys of G. seraphini are broadest caudally and taper toward the front, where the organs are divided into smaller segmental divisions. Two nephron types can be distinguished on the basis of their connections to the coelom and their position within the nephric tissue: ventral nephrons connect to the coelom via a ciliated peritoneal funnel, whereas medial nephrons lack this connection. Both nephron types are composed of a filtration unit, the Malpighian corpuscle, and a renal tubule, which can be divided into six morphologically distinct segments: neck segment, proximal tubule, intermediate segment, early distal tubule, late distal tubule, and collecting tubule. Collecting tubules merge and form a branch system that opens into collecting ducts. Collecting ducts empty into the Wolffian duct. Proximal tubules of nephrons in the frontal divisions are morphologically different from the proximal tubules of more caudal kidney regions. Distal tubule subdivision is only clearly recognizable at the electron microscopic level. The length of each nephron segment is calculated from a ventral nephron with a total length of approximately 3.8 mm, and the course of the segments within the nephric tissue is reported. The number of nephrons was estimated at 1,700 units in each kidney. The segmentation and ultrastructure of the mesonephric nephrons in G. seraphini are discussed in relation to nephron descriptions from other caecilians and we further discuss the evolutionary origin of the amphibian nephron.

Histology of the kidney and urinary bladder of Siphonops annulatus (Amphibia-Gymnophiona)

The histology of the kidney and urinary bladder of Siphonops annulatus was studied by light microscopy in semithin sections of tissue embedded in hydrophilic resin. The kidney's nephron comprises the renal corpuscle, neck segment, proximal tubule, intermediate segment, distal tubule and collecting tubule. Nephrostomes are present. This structure, the neck segment, and intermediate tubules present long cilia, and probably play important roles in the propulsion of the peritoneal fluid and glomerular filtrate. The proximal tubule cells possess loosely packed microvilli and contain abundant polymorphic granules and vesicles that assume the aspect of lysosomes in different stages of intracellular digestion. The distal tubules are characterized by large, vertically disposed mitochondria assuming the aspect of ions transporting cells. The urinary bladder is lined with a transitional epithelium, whose aspect varies according to the quantity of urine.