The discovery that 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2(15d-PGJ2) is a ligand for the γ-isoform of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) suggests nuclear signaling by prostaglandins. Studies were undertaken to determine the nephron localization of PPAR isoforms and their heterodimer partners, retinoid X receptors (RXR), and to evaluate the function of this system in the kidney. PPARα mR...

Thanks to remarkable advances in neonatal intensive care, infants who once had little chance for survival can now enter adulthood. Yet the consequences of premature birth or low birth weight (LBW) on nephrogenesis, final nephron number, and long-term kidney function are unclear. This review focuses on the theory, experimental evidence, and observational data that suggest an increased risk of ch...

K(+)-channels fulfill several important functions in the mammalian kidney such as volume regulation, recirculation and secretion of K(+) ions, and maintaining the resting potential. In this study we used immunocytochemical methods, in situ hybridization, and nephron segment-specific RT-PCR to obtain a detailed picture of the cellular localization of two tandem pore domain potassium (K(2P)) chan...

A large body of epidemiologic literature supports an inverse relation between birth weight and both systolic blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension, but mechanisms through which lower birth weight increases risk for hypertension are not established. This article advances the view that 1) permanently reduced nephron number is essential but not alone sufficient to mediate nutritionally ind...

In this paper, concepts from network automata are adapted and extended to model complex biological systems. Specifically, systems of nephrons, the operational units of the kidney, are modelled and the dynamics of such systems are explored. Nephron behaviour can fluctuate widely and, under certain conditions, become chaotic. However, the behaviour of the whole kidney remains remarkably stable an...

Through regulation of the extracellular fluid volume, the kidneys provide important long-term regulation of blood pressure. At the level of the individual functional unit (the nephron), pressure and flow control involves two different mechanisms that both produce oscillations. The nephrons are arranged in a complex branching structure that delivers blood to each nephron and, at the same time, p...

Increasing consumption of a high fat 'Western' diet has led to a growing number of pregnancies complicated by maternal obesity. Maternal overnutrition and obesity have health implications for offspring, yet little is known about their effects on offspring kidney development and renal function. Female C57Bl6 mice were fed a high fat diet (HFD, 21% fat) or matched normal fat diet (NFD, 6% fat) fo...

Potassium secretion and sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) activity in the distal nephron segments are known to be influenced by the dietary intake of K+. This has been attributed to a change in the plasma aldosterone level, which also influences K+ secretion and Na-K-ATPase activity in the distal nephron. To investigate whether or not dietary K+ can modulate Na-K-ATPase ac...

Garcı́a, Néstor H., Theresa J. Berndt, Gertrude M. Tyce, and Franklyn G. Knox. Chronic oral L-DOPA increases dopamine and decreases serotonin excretions. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 46): R1476–R1480, 1999.—Given the common pathways for uptake and synthesis for dopamine and serotonin, enhanced renal dopamine synthesis in response to increased substrate 3,4-dihydroxy...

This study investigates the effect in rats of acute CdCl(2) (5 microM) intoxication on renal function and characterizes the transport of Ca(2+), Cd(2+), and Zn(2+) in the proximal tubule (PT), loop of Henle (LH), and terminal segments of the nephron (DT) using whole kidney clearance and nephron microinjection techniques. Acute Cd(2+) injection resulted in renal losses of Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg...