Diuretic

Diuretics are "agents that promote the excretion of urine through their effects on kidney function."

Physiology of sodium reabsorption in the kidney

Physiology of sodium reabsorption in the kidney

Location in nephron	Proportion of total sodium reabsorption accounted for	Ion pump	Diuretics that act at this location
Proximal convulated tubule	40%	Sodium-hydrogen antiporter	Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
Late proximal tubule		Chloride-bicarbonate antiporter	cell
Loop of Henle: thin descending limb	0%	Not applicable	Osmotic diuretics
Loop of Henle: thick ascending limb ('diluting segment')	25%	Sodium potassium chloride symporter	Loop diuretics
Distal convulated tubule	10%	Sodium chloride symporter	Thiazides
Collecting tubule	2-5%		Potassium-sparing diuretics

Classification

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are a "class of compounds that reduces the secretion of h+ ions by the proximal kidney tubule through inhibition of carbonic anhydrases."

Osmotic diuretic

Osmotic diuretics are "compounds that increase urine volume by increasing the amount of osmotically active solute in the urine. Osmotic diuretics also increase the osmolarity of plasma."

Loop diuretics

More formally called sodium potassium chloride symporter inhibitors, these are agents that inhibit sodium-potassium-chloride symporters in the thick ascending limb at the junction of the Loop of Henle and distal kidney tubules.

Thiazides

Thiazides are "heterocyclic compounds with sulfur and nitrogen in the ring. This term commonly refers to the benzothiadiazines that inhibit sodium-potassium-chloride symporters."

Potassium-sparing diuretics

These work in the collecting duct and late distal convoluted tubule.