How important is the kidney in regulating blood pressure?

The role of Cullin3 and Kelch-3 in the distal nephron

Gordon’s syndrome is a rare inherited form of high blood pressure caused by the body’s inability to regulate sodium and potassium levels in the kidney, leading to high concentrations in the circulation. High blood pressure raises the risk of other cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke. This research will further improve our understanding of Gordon’s syndrome and how to treat it, helping affected families. It will also have wider relevance as many adults develop dangerously high blood pressure due to too much salt circulating in the bloodstream. Dr Kevin O’Shaughnessy from the University of Cambridge has been awarded BHF funding of nearly £245,000 over 3 years to look at the proteins that help regulate sodium and potassium levels in the kidney and how their function may be disrupted, leading to high blood pressure and conditions such as Gordon’s syndrome. He will look in particular at two proteins present in the kidney, the normal function of which is thought to be balancing how much sodium and potassium is kept in the circulation and how much is discarded by the body as waste products. In the laboratory, he will look at kidney cells and study mice to understand how changes in the structure and function of these proteins may disrupt their role.