New class of molecules may help prevent fatal complication in patients with kidney disease

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have made a significant discovery, why build in dangerous levels of potassium in the blood, a relatively common medical problem affecting approximately eight percent of patients hospitalized. You have a new and a new molecular class of molecules for the prevention of potassium found they normally excreted by the kidneys. Their study has been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The researchers hope their discovery to develop a new class of drugs to treat this condition, such as hyperkalemia, which is triggered when patients can not properly excrete potassium is known to cause. If not treated quickly, can cause a severe cardiac arrest.

"We're particularly excited about the potential for translation of our discoveries of basic research," says Paul A. Welling, MD, professor of physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "There is currently no drug that is specific to the molecular cause of the renal retention of potassium. This new class of drugs damage the kidneys how long-standing hypertension, diabetes or heart disease in May to pave the 'excretion of potassium is properly in the urine, so that the potentially fatal hyperkalemia can be avoided.

Potassium is responsible for the proper functioning of muscles, nerves and heart crucial. The kidney is the main organ responsible for removing excess potassium, if too much of it accumulates in the blood. Those with the highest risk for abnormally high amounts of potassium in the blood are those with kidney disease because they are not properly excretion of potassium in the urine. About 67 percent of cases of severe hyperkalemia are fatal if not caught and must be treated.

A gene called Romke kidney (renal outer medullary K + channel) controls the levels of excretion of potassium in the kidney. In people with kidney disease protein, which may by this gene is more properly appropriate signals excretion in urine to make, "helping to build the potassium in the blood. With funding from the Institute National Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health, Dr. Welling, and his post doctoral, Liang Fang, Ph.D. have this new class of protein molecules, discovered the abnormal signal. This new molecule has been shown that interaction Romke gene and inhibits the excretion of potassium blood levels so high.

"Is off, our results solve a mystery, as the excretion of potassium in response to food has a potassium deficiency and a defect in renal disease behind," said Fang. The name of this new adapter is a protein as ARH (autosomal recessive hypercholesterolemia protein). Researchers now hope that this road has been discovered, it will be to develop new drugs that can prevent the interaction of ARH with the gene Romke.

E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland and Z. John and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says these findings change our basic understanding of how balance of potassium in the body and is in the treatment of patients with diseases like diabetes, disease kidney is crucial. He adds: "Dr. Welling discovery provides a complete roadmap for developing new therapeutic interventions for these relatively common but very serious complication of kidney disease. This type of basic research is important in clinical therapies for the treatment of patients in the future to translate.