Researchers at University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine have uncovered a new mechanism behind salt-sensitive hypertension. They found that a high-salt diet fed to salt-sensitive rats activates a gene called Rac1 in the kidneys; this leads to increased activity of the MR (Mineralocorticoid Receptor) protein and causes elevated blood pressure and kidney damage. Their … Continue reading Rac1 Gene Implicated in Salt-Induced High Blood Pressure
Src Gene May Be Key to Helping Kidney Cancer Patients
Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute have found that a gene called Src plays a role in helping some kidney cancers grow. The researchers are now looking at existing, approved drugs that may inhibit Src activity in cancer cells. In addition, they have developed a method of identifying patients that could … Continue reading Src Gene May Be Key to Helping Kidney Cancer Patients
Dopamine Produced in Kidneys Critical to Maintaining Normal Blood Pressure
Dopamine, an important neurotransmitter that helps to control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, is often studied in connection with neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease. Now researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have discovered that dopamine produced within the kidneys, rather than the brain, is critical to maintaining normal blood pressure and salt and water … Continue reading Dopamine Produced in Kidneys Critical to Maintaining Normal Blood Pressure
Bardoxolone Methyl Improves Kidney Function in Type 2 Diabetics
Results of a year-long drug trial conducted by researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center show that the experimental drug bardoxolone methyl improves estimated glomerular filtration rates in Type 2 diabetic patients with moderate to severe CKD. Lab tests for those patients revealed decreased blood urea nitrogen, serum phosphorus, uric acid, and magnesium. The new phase … Continue reading Bardoxolone Methyl Improves Kidney Function in Type 2 Diabetics
Pirfenidone Improves Kidney Function in Diabetic Patients
Researchers from UC San Diego, the National Institutes of Health, and the Mayo Clinic have shown that an experimental drug called pirfenidone can stop damage and improve kidney function in diabetic patients. Study participants treated with a small amount of the drug for one year showed improved glomerular filtration rates. Pirfenidone, an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic … Continue reading Pirfenidone Improves Kidney Function in Diabetic Patients
Cells That Help Protect Blood Vessels Work Better in Patients on Home Dialysis
Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have discovered that special cells found in bone marrow and blood do a better job of promoting blood vessel growth in nocturnal home hemodialysis patients than in patients undergoing dialysis in a hospital setting. Longer and more frequent nightly dialysis sessions greatly reduce the amount of toxins in … Continue reading Cells That Help Protect Blood Vessels Work Better in Patients on Home Dialysis