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.
Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Duke University and Durham VA Medical Centers, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Thu H
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Thomas M
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Coffman
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