Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Glomerular Outgrowth as an Ex Vivo Assay to Analyze Pathways Involved in Parietal Epithelial Cell Activation
Published on: August 19, 2020
Molecular mechanism of juxtaglomerular cell hyperplasia: a unifying hypothesis
Kenichi Matsushita1, Zhiping Zhang, Richard E Pratt
1Mandel Center for Hypertension Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
Renin is the first enzymatic step of the renin angiotensin cascade and plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis. Renin is mainly expressed in and released from specialized juxtaglomerular (JG) cells in kidney. JG cells develop hyperplasia in response to various chronic stimuli while maintaining the ability to express high levels of renin. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms of JG cell hyperplasia are unknown. Based on the authors' previous observation that a nuclear hormone receptor, liver X receptor alpha, regulates renin expression as well as growth and differentiation genes such as c-myc, the authors propose the hypothesis that liver X receptor alpha can contribute to JG cell hyperplasia under conditions of chronic and intense induction of these genes. This hypothesis may provide a potential explanation for the observation that the JG cells can maintain a highly specialized renin-producing phenotype while undergoing hyperplasia.
Related Concept Videos
Hormonal Regulation
Glomerular Filtration Rate and its Regulation
GFR regulation involves two primary intrinsic controls: the myogenic and tubuloglomerular feedback mechanisms.
The myogenic...
Cellular Adaptation III: Hyperplasia
Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
Hormonal Regulation of Blood Pressure
Epinephrine and Norepinephrine
The adrenal medulla releases epinephrine and norepinephrine, catecholamines that enhance and extend the sympathetic or "fight or flight" physiological response. These hormones escalate heart rate and the force of contraction while...
Cellular Adaptation II: Hypertrophy
