title: The (pro)renin receptor and the kidney.
abstract: Prorenin binding to the (pro)renin receptor not only causes a nonproteolytic activation of prorenin leading to the activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), but also stimulates the receptor's own intracellular signaling pathways independent of the RAS. Within the kidneys, the (pro)renin receptor is present in the glomerular mesangium and podocytes, which play an important role in the maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier. Therefore, prorenin-receptor blockers, which competitively bind to the receptor as a decoy peptide, have superior benefits with regard to proteinuria and glomerulosclerosis in experimental animal models with elevated plasma prorenin levels such as diabetes and hypertension compared with conventional RAS inhibitors, possibly by inhibiting both the nonproteolytic activation of prorenin and RAS-independent intracellular signals.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. atzichi@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: Atsuhiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichihara
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneshiro
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takemitsu
authors.forename: Mariyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakoda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012083:Renin / Q000378:metabolism; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000093342:Prorenin Receptor
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012083:Renin; D000093342:Prorenin Receptor