title: Renal connexins and blood pressure.
abstract: The kidneys are centrally involved in the regulation of blood pressure. Kidney function requires the coordinated actions of a number of different vascular and tubular cell types in the renal vasculature and in the renal tubular system. The intrarenal coordination of these actions is not well understood. Since gap junctions have been identified in the kidneys, possible pathways involved in this context could be direct intercellular communication via gap junctions or via connexin hemichannels. In this context nine different connexins have been found to be expressed in the kidney, either localized to the vasculature or to the tubular system. Evidence is arising that malfunctions of certain connexins have an impact on the capability of the kidney to maintain blood pressure homeostasis. Findings reported in this context will be outlined and discussed in this review. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: The Communicating junctions, composition, structure and characteristics.
authors.affiliation: University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. armin.kurtz@vkl.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism; D017630:Connexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D009399:Nephrons / Q000378:metabolism; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000473:pathology; D012083:Renin / Q000378:metabolism; D000097003:Gap Junction alpha-5 Protein; D000097006:Gap Junction alpha-4 Protein
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D017630:Connexins; D012083:Renin; D000097003:Gap Junction alpha-5 Protein; D000097006:Gap Junction alpha-4 Protein; C082920:connexin 45