The evolving role of renal pericytes

The purpose of this review is to focus on the most recent developments in our understanding of the physiological and pathophysiological role(s) that renal pericytes play in the kidney. We will highlight the most important and interesting advances made in the last 12 months and aim to provide a concise summary of the exciting progress in this field.

Pericytes have increasingly been the subject of much interest in the renal field, with particular attention focusing on their key role as regulators of medullary blood flow (MBF), their ability to coordinate tubular and vascular function via tubulovascular cross-talk mechanisms, and most recently, their role in the pathogenesis of renal diseases such as fibrosis and associated forms of chronic disease.

Pericyte-mediated regulation of vasa recta diameter provides compelling evidence to support regulated MBF, a notoriously controversial subject. Coordination of tubular and vascular function by pericytes, particularly in salt-sensitive animal models, provides important mechanistic information regarding the physiological workings of the medulla in health and renal disease. Moreover, the emergent role of renal pericytes in vessel rarefication during fibrosis promises to reveal novel therapeutic targets to counteract devascularization, disease progression and loss of kidney function.