Effects of Sodium Citrate on Salt Sensitivity and Kidney Injury in Chronic Renal Failure

Metabolic acidosis, which is observed in salt-sensitive hypertension, is also associated with kidney injury. Alkali therapy in chronic renal failure (CRF) may ameliorate the progression of kidney disease; however, few studies have examined the effects of alkali therapy on salt sensitivity and kidney injury in CRF. We randomly administered standard diet (SD), sodium chloride with 20% casein diet (NACL), or sodium citrate with 20% casein diet (NACT) to Sprague-Dawley rats after a CRF or a sham operation. Four weeks after 5/6 nephrectomy, serum bicarbonate levels were higher in the NACT-treated group. On the pressure-natriuresis curve, NACT-treated CRF rats were more salt-resistant than NACL-treated CRF rats. Additionally, the NACT-treated CRF group showed less tubulointerstitial damage than the NACL-treated CRF group. The expression and immunoreactivity of NHE3 in the kidney in the NACT-treated CRF group were lower than those in the NACL-treated CRF group. We observed that dietary NACT as alkali therapy in CRF might improve the altered salt-sensitivity and ameliorate the progression of kidney injury compared to the NACL diet, which may be related to reduced renal NHE3 expression.