Distal tubule

Looks like

A short coiled section of tubule back in the cortex, after the loop.

What it does

Fine-tunes how much salt, potassium and calcium the body keeps.

Keeping it well

Thiazide diuretics act here and can lower sodium and potassium, especially in older people.

Related conditions

• Acute kidney injury
• Amyloidosis (AL and ATTR)
• Bladder cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Dehydration & electrolyte disorders
• Diabetes insipidus (arginine vasopressin deficiency)
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Glomerulonephritis
• Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
• Hantavirus infection
• High blood pressure
• Hydronephrosis
• Hyperparathyroidism
• IgA nephropathy
• Kidney cancer
• Kidney infection
• Kidney stones
• Lead poisoning
• Leptospirosis (Weil's disease)
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Poisoning & overdose
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Pre-eclampsia
• Renal artery stenosis
• Rhabdomyolysis
• SIADH (inappropriate antidiuretic hormone)
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
• Toxic shock syndrome
• Tuberous sclerosis complex
• Vesicoureteral reflux
• Wilms tumour (nephroblastoma)
• Yellow fever