Publications by authors named "W van Megen"
Background: The parathyroid calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) controls the release of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in response to changes in serum calcium levels. Activation of the renal CASR increases urinary calcium excretion and is particularly important when CASR-dependent reductions in PTH fail to lower serum calcium. However, the role of the renal CASR in protecting against hypercalcemia and the direct effects of chronic CASR activation on tubular calcium handling remains to be fully elucidated.
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- Scientists studied how the amount of magnesium (Mg) in urine changes as mice get older.
- They found that older mice (12 and 18 months) had more Mg in their urine than younger ones (6 months).
- A specific gene, TRPM6, seemed to be important for this change, especially in older mice, while another gene (OIT3) didn't appear to affect Mg levels at all.
Background: Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) affect kidney electrolyte handling and blood pressure (BP) through an effect on the distal tubule. The second-generation CNI voclosporin causes hypomagnesaemia and hypercalciuria less often than tacrolimus. This suggests different effects on the distal tubule, but this has not yet been investigated experimentally.
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- Mutations in the PKD1 and PKD2 genes lead to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which causes fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys and can result in low blood calcium and magnesium in some patients.
- The study used a specific mouse model (iKsp-Pkd1) to investigate whether inhibiting ATP release, through the pannexin-1 blocker brilliant blue-FCF (BB-FCF), could help normalize these electrolyte levels in ADPKD.
- Despite treatment with BB-FCF reducing the expression of certain ion channels, it did not successfully normalize serum calcium and magnesium levels in the mice, nor did it show any protective effects on kidney function.
In the kidney, the flow rate of the pro-urine through the renal tubules is highly variable. The tubular epithelial cells sense these variations in pro-urinary flow rate in order to regulate various physiological processes, including electrolyte reabsorption. One of the mechanosensitive pathways activated by flow is the release of ATP, which can then act as a autocrine or paracrine factor.
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