Low-Salt Diet And Reduced Body Fluids May Repair Kidney Cells: Study

A short-term, low-salt diet combined with reduced body fluids may aid in the repair and regeneration of certain kidney cells, according to US scientists who have shown promising results in animal studies.

The loss of salt and body fluid can stimulate kidney regeneration and repair in mice, as demonstrated by a study led by stem cell scientist Janos Peti-Peterdi from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

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This regenerative response depends on a small population of kidney cells in a region known as the macula densa (MD), which senses salt and controls filtration, hormone secretion, and other key kidney functions, according to the study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Currently, there is no cure for kidney disease. By the time it is diagnosed, the kidneys are irreversibly damaged, necessitating replacement therapies such as dialysis or transplantation.

To address this growing epidemic, Peti-Peterdi, first author Georgina Gyarmati, and their colleagues adopted a highly non-traditional approach.

Instead of studying why diseased kidneys fail to regenerate, the scientists investigated how healthy kidneys originally evolved.

The team fed lab mice a very low-salt diet along with an ACE inhibitor, a commonly prescribed drug that further reduced salt and fluid levels.

The mice followed this regimen for up to two weeks, as extremely low-salt diets can cause serious health issues if continued long term.

In the MD region, the scientists observed regenerative activity, which they could block by administering drugs that interfere with signals sent by the MD.

When the scientists further analyzed mouse MD cells, they found both genetic and structural characteristics similar to nerve cells.