Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

High-throughput Screening for Small-molecule Modulators of Inward Rectifier Potassium Channels
Published on: January 27, 2013
Urea channel inhibitors: a new functional class of aquaretics
Mark A Knepper1, Carlos A Miranda
1Epithelial Systems Biology Laboratory, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1603, USA. knep@helix.nih.gov
Abstract:
Using large-scale small-molecule screening techniques, Li et al. have identified a compound that inhibits the UT-B urea channel. They propose that this or similar compounds could be used as aquaretic agents to increase water excretion without changes in electrolyte excretion. Such compounds would potentially be useful in treatment of hyponatremic disorders. Here we review the physiological basis for the action of urea channel inhibitors in the kidney and assess their clinical potential.
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