Researchers have obtained important new insights into how our bodies regulate blood pressure.
The findings “shed light on how specialized kidney cells, called juxtaglomerular cells, shut down the production of renin, a hormone released to increase blood pressure. Excessive production of the hormone can cause hypertension.”
Juxtaglomerular cells “act as the body’s blood pressure sensor. They prevent our blood pressure from dropping too low by releasing renin as needed. To determine this, they monitor calcium levels within themselves. In that sense, calcium is the on-off switch for renin production.” This new research reveals how the process of renin production works in “actual kidney tissue.”
Looking at isolated cells ended up being an ineffective way to understand renin production. Examining living kidney tissue could “pave the way for new ways to reduce high blood pressure and the complications it can cause.” The director of the research center involved said that concentration had typically gone to what “turns hormones and systems on. Focusing on the regulatory brakes, the ‘off switches’ of hormone production, offers a novel opportunity to understand and maintain well-being.”
