Data diuresis: research "to go" from the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section.

THE WORD “homeostasis” comes from Greek μοιος, hómoios meaning “similar” and στάσις, stasis meaning “standing still” (7). The concept of homeostasis is associated with living organisms and their ability to maintain a stable, internal environment. This concept originated from Claude Bernard and his discussions of milieu interieur during his career in the mid-tolate 1800s. Claude Bernard relied on experimentation and the use of scientific method in medicine, rejecting previous concepts without thorough analyses, which did not make him popular among his contemporary professionals. In the early part of the 1900s, Walter Cannon took on a new appreciation of Bernard’s work (1, 2) and with the results of his own research team published “The Wisdom of the Body” (3) introducing the term homeostasis that is now universally recognized in the field of physiology (1–3). The Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis (WEH) section integrates many fields of research and strives to discover novel homeostatic pathways governing the adaptation and/or regulation of fluid and electrolytes. In pursuit of innovative and more effective ways to disseminate the latest research conducted by APS members, the WEH section created a “preview session” to jump start its main scientific program at the annual Experimental Biology meetings. The session, appropriately entitled “Data Diuresis,” was first launched at the 2011 Experimental Biology meeting and since then it has become a much-anticipated hour of science in a relaxed and fun atmosphere! Typically, eitht to nine abstracts are selected, by a subcommittee of WEH members, from the total pool of abstracts submitted to WEH-sponsored sessions to the Experimental Biology meeting. Presenters are allowed a maximum of two data slides to highlight the goals and main findings of their study, all in 3 minutes! The Data Diuresis session takes place just before the beginning of the main programming of Experimental Biology that kicks off with the prestigious Walter B. Cannon Lecture, thus enabling a sneak preview of WEH research highlights and providing low-pressure “face time,” especially for younger scientists. Data Science International, Inc. has provided financial support to WEH for the Data Diuresis session. In essence, the Data Diuresis session provides “free advertising” for the latest science pertinent to the mission of WEH. In 2013, all first authors of the abstracts selected for presentation in the Data Diuresis session were invited to contribute a mini-review based on the abstracts presented for inclusion in this special issue of AJP-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology. The following is the list of contributing authors along with a brief summary of their major findings and conclusions: • Nazarewicz et al. (8) investigated the effect of mitochondria-targeted superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2) mimetic on T cell activation and prohypertensive immune effect by adoptive transfer of T-cells in RAG1 knockout mice. The study concluded that mitochondrial superoxide is essential in T-cell metabolic changes, activation, and prohypertensive immune response. • Ramkumar et al. (10) developed a transgenic mouse overexpressing renin in the collecting ducts. These mice develop salt-sensitive hypertension, especially when placed on a high-salt diet, suggesting that collecting duct-derived renin has the potential to modulate blood pressure. • Palygin et al. (9) developed a novel approach to measure acute changes in endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in freshly isolated kidneys using enzymatic microelectrode biosensors. With the use of this technique, the study recorded real-time changes in ATP and H2O2 concentrations in response to ANG II in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. This novel technique represents a unique powerful approach for real-time monitoring of endogenous substance levels in organs or tissues either ex vivo or in vivo. • Lerdweeraphon et al. (6) tested the hypothesis that perinatal taurine depletion leads to increased susceptibility to cardiovascular injury later in life. The study demonstrates that perinatal taurine depletion increases oxidative stress in adult female rats that could contribute to increased morbidity of these animals in adulthood. • Cao et al. (4) examined the role of brain (pro)renin receptor (PRR) in body fluid homeostasis using adeno-associated virus-mediated PRR short hairpin RNA (shRNA) injected intracerebroventricularly into nontransgenic mice and mice transgenic for human renin and angiotensinogen. The data show that brain-targeted PRR knockdown modulates the body fluid homeostasis and is associated with reduction of ANG II levels. The authors concluded that brain PRR plays a regulatory role in the body fluid homeostasis during ANG II-dependent hypertension. • De Miguel et al. (5) tested the hypothesis that endothelin B receptor (ETB)-deficient rats (sl/sl) develop exaggerated renal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and/or inflammation compared with wild-type rats in response to Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. Pollock, Section of Experimental Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Georgia Regents Univ., 1459 Laney Walker Blvd., CB 2209, Augusta, GA 30912 (e-mail: [email protected]). Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 305: R87–R88, 2013; First published May 15, 2013; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00176.2013. Editorial