Conflict of interest statement P.J. Ratcliffe is a founding scientist of the company ReOx Ltd. 1 Introduction Although generally ascribed to the 19th-century physicians, Richard Bright, Robert Christison, and Pierre Rayer, the link between kidney disease and anemia was first…
1 Introduction Adrenal hormones from the cortex, such as cortisol and aldosterone, are essential for human life and evolved with a complex regulatory system to play a crucial role in metabolism homeostasis, stress response, and blood pressure (BP) regulation. Despite…
Acknowledgments Funding for this manuscript was provided by the NHLBI PO1 HL76611 and RO1 HL36634. In 1981, the concept of the heart as an endocrine organ emerged with the discovery of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) by de Bold in…
1 Introduction Disorders in sodium and water homeostasis primarily result from perturbation in the release or response to arginine vasopressin (AVP). Impaired AVP secretion or response results in impaired renal concentration and is termed diabetes insipidus (DI). Hyponatremia that results…
1 Introduction Hyponatremia is the most common electrolyte abnormality in hospitalized patients occurring in as many as 15%–30% of patients. It can present acutely or chronically. The treatment of hyponatremia has been reviewed elsewhere extensively but includes simple strategies such…
1 Introduction Vasopressin, or in humans and rodents, arginine vasopressin (AVP), is the most important hormone in the regulation of urine concentration. Without the ability to concentrate our urine, we would excrete as much as 170–180 L of urine per…
1 Introduction A century ago it was well established that the infusion of pituitary extract into animals could cause antidiuresis and a concentrated urine. The structure of this neurohypophyseal hormone, mammalian vasopressin (AVP) or antidiuretic hormone (ADH) was discovered in…
Key Points The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) has emerged over the last several decades as a key mediator of hypertension as well as cardiorenal homeostasis and disease progression. Several drug classes including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and…
1 Introduction For many years, the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) was thought to be mainly a traditional circulating hormonal system whereby renal renin-dependent production of angiotensin II (Ang II) occurred in response to a fall in macula densa sodium concentration, low…
1 Introduction The relationship between the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) and its modulation of kidney function has been present for almost a century. It dates back to when renin was first described in the late 1800s and integrated into renal physiology…