Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Kidney Int. 2013 Sep;84(3):438-40. doi: 10.1038/ki.2013.141.
The orexigenic hormone ghrelin acts like a hunger signal, released by the stomach in response to nutritional status. However, ghrelin and its receptor in the kidney may play other biological roles. Kemp and colleagues identify that ghrelin stimulates renal Na+ absorption through cAMP-dependent trafficking of ENaC in the cortical collecting duct. While ghrelin seems to be a physiological regulator of ENaC, future studies are necessary to clarify its physiological and pathological roles in sodium homeostasis.
食欲激素 ghrelin 作为饥饿信号发挥作用，由胃响应营养状态释放。然而，ghrelin 和其在肾脏中的受体可能发挥其他生物学作用。Kemp 及其同事确定 ghrelin 通过皮质集合管中 ENaC 的 cAMP 依赖性转运刺激肾钠吸收。虽然 ghrelin 似乎是 ENaC 的生理调节剂，但仍需要进一步研究阐明其在钠稳态中的生理和病理作用。
