A new cardiac MASTer switch for the renin-angiotensin system.
The aspartyl protease renin was first isolated from the kidney by Tigerstedt more than a century ago. In the kidney, renin secretion is tightly linked to sodium intake and renal perfusion pressure, reflecting the important role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in controlling body fluid volume and blood pressure. The study by Mackins et al. in this issue of the JCI describes a novel source of renin: the mast cell (see the related article beginning on page 1063). This discovery suggests a distinct pathway for activation of the RAS that may have a particular impact on the pathogenesis of chronic tissue injury as well as more acute pathology such as arrhythmias in the heart.
Le
Thu H
TH
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University and Durham VA Medical Centers, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Coffman
Thomas M
TM
D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology; D012083:Renin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology*
D012083:Renin