Roles of dopamine receptor on chemosensory and mechanosensory primary cilia in renal epithelial cells.

Dopamine plays a number of important physiological roles. However, activation of dopamine receptor type-5 (DR5) and its effect in renal epithelial cells have not been studied. Here, we show for the first time that DR5 is localized to primary cilia of LLCPK kidney cells.

Pkd2 mesenteric vessels exhibit a primary defect in endothelium-dependent vasodilatation restored by rosiglitazone.

Patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease have a high prevalence of hypertension and structural vascular abnormalities, such as intracranial aneurysms. Hypertension can develop in childhood and often precedes a significant reduction in the glomerular filtration rate. The major aim of this study was to investigate whether a primary endothelial defect or a vascular smooth muscle (VSM) defect was present in murine polycystic kidney disease (Pkd)2 heterozygous mesenteric vessels before the development of renal failure or hypertension.