Pendrin: linking acid base to blood pressure

Pendrin (SLC26A4) is an anion exchanger from the SLC26 transporter family which is mutated in human patients affected by Pendred syndrome, an autosomal recessive disease characterized by sensoneurinal deafness and hypothyroidism. Pendrin is also expressed in the kidney where it mediates the exchange of internal HCO₃^- for external Cl^- at the apical surface of renal type B and non-A non-B-intercalated cells. Studies using pendrin knockout mice have first revealed that pendrin is essential for renal base excretion. However, subsequent studies have demonstrated that pendrin also controls chloride absorption by the distal nephron and that this mechanism is critical for renal NaCl balance. Furthermore, pendrin has been shown to control vascular volume and ultimately blood pressure. This review summarizes the current knowledge about how pendrin is linking renal acid-base regulation to blood pressure control.