University of Virginia School of Medicine scientists have discovered how calcium activity in kidney cells regulates the production of renin, a hormone that raises blood pressure. The finding marks a key step toward more precise treatments for patients with high blood pressure.
Drs. R. Ariel Gomez and Maria Luisa S. Sequeira-Lopez led the research, revealing how the body naturally “switches off” renin to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Excessive production of the hormone can cause hypertension.
Drs. R. Ariel Gomez, left, and Maria Luisa S. Sequeira-Lopez explore how the body maintains healthy blood pressure. This discovery could guide future treatments for high blood pressure and related diseases. (Contributed photos)
“Studying the intricate communication system within the cells that produce the hormone renin is a fundamental first step to understanding high blood pressure,” Sequeira-Lopez, of UVA’s Child Health Research Center, said. “Grasping how calcium behaves in juxtaglomerular cells may help create new and safer treatments for heart, vascular and kidney diseases.”
Better understanding blood pressure control
Juxtaglomerular cells are specialized kidney cells that act as the body’s blood pressure sensors, releasing renin when pressure drops too low. They use calcium levels as a signal to turn renin production on or off.
UVA researchers discovered how the body knows when to stop producing renin. A hormone called angiotensin II causes calcium levels in these cells to rise and fall in rhythmic bursts, signals that tell the cells to stop releasing renin and help keep blood pressure balanced.
