Renal autoregulation slideshow

Renal blood flow autoregulation allows the kidney to maintain a relatively constant blood flow and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) necessary for the clearance of metabolic wastes while maintaining efficient recovery of filtered electrolytes and nutrients by the renal tubules.
Two mechanisms contribute to autoregulation -
1. Myogenic response of preglomerular arterioles. Elevations in transmural pressure induce contraction of preglomerular arterioles, predominantly at the level of afferent arterioles (decrease in pressure causes the opposite effect).
2. Tubuloglomerular feedback which acts in conjunction with the myogenic response. It senses changes in the concentration of sodium chloride in the tubular fluid reaching the macula densa cells in the distal tubule and adjusts the diameter of the afferent arteriole accordingly.