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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Renalase, kidney and cardiovascular disease: are they related or just coincidentally associated?
Jolanta Malyszko1, Hanna Bachorzewska-Gajewska2, Slawomir Dobrzycki2
12nd Department of Nephrology and Hypertension with Dialysis Unit, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
Insights
Researchers are investigating renalase, a kidney-secreted protein, for its role in regulating blood pressure and its potential link to cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Further research is needed to clarify its function and therapeutic potential.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are significant global health issues.
- Renalase, a protein released by the kidney, is hypothesized to regulate blood pressure by breaking down catecholamines.
- Uncertainty exists regarding renalase's enzymatic activity (monoamine oxidase) and potential cytokine function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential role of renalase as a risk factor or pathogenetic factor in cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and CKD.
- To investigate the conflicting findings regarding renalase polymorphisms and its function in various disease models.
- To assess the need for validated assays to accurately measure renalase levels and activity.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on renalase function, polymorphisms, and associations with cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, and CKD.
- Analysis of discrepancies in animal studies regarding renalase's role in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
- Identification of the need for validated assays for renalase quantification and activity assessment.
Main Results:
- Inconsistent findings exist regarding the association between renalase polymorphisms and hypertension, CVD, or diabetes.
- Animal studies present conflicting results on renalase's protective role in acute kidney injury and its association with hypertension.
- Renalase levels appear to be significantly influenced by kidney function, suggesting a role in excretion.
Conclusions:
- The precise link between renalase and cardiovascular diseases requires further in-depth research.
- The potential of renalase as a novel therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases and hypertension remains to be determined.
- Clarifying renalase's function is crucial to understanding its potential as a bridge between kidney and cardiovascular health.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension are the leading cause of death in the developed countries. Diabetes and chronic kidney disease became also more prevalent reaching almost the level of epidemy. Researchers are looking eagerly for the new risk and/or pathogenetic factors, as well as therapeutic option in these disease. It has been suggested that human kidney releases a protein named renalase into the bloodstream. It is supposed to be an enzyme which breaks down catecholamines in the blood circulation and regulate blood pressure. However, there were several doubts whether renalase exerts monoaminooxidase activity, or if it is monoaminooxidase at all. Recently, a hypothesis that it is also a cytokine was postulated. Studies on renalase polymorphisms in hypertension, cardiovascular disease or diabetes are inconsistent. Similarly, there are several discrepancies in the animal on the possible role of renalase in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Some studies report a protective role of renalase in acute kidney injury, whereas others showed that renalase levels were mainly dependent on kidney function, indicating rather a role of kidney in excretion of this substance. Moreover, validated assays are needed to evaluate renalase levels and activity. On one hand a deeper and more accurate link between renalase and cardiovascular diseases require further profound research, on the other hand whether or not renalase protein could be a new therapeutic target in these pathologies should also be considered. Whether renalase, discovered in 2005, might be a Holy Grail of hypertension, linking kidney and cardiovascular diseases, remains to be proven.
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