Cells of the macula densa (MD) sense changes in tubular fluid to control functions such as renal blood flow and renin release. New findings identify a broader role for MD cells in the remodelling of kidney tissue. “The identified cell … features … suggest that the MD is a much more complex and key sensory and regulatory cell type in the nephron than previously thought,” say the researchers.
To study the dynamics of kidney tissue remodelling, Georgina Gyarmati and colleagues performed serial intravital multiphoton microscopy and genetic cell-fate tracking in reporter mice, which demonstrated that loss of body fluid and salt — but not ischemia–reperfusion-induced kidney injury — act as MD-activating stimuli to recruit mesenchymal and endothelial precursor cells. Following their recruitment, the precursors differentiated and induced remodelling of the vasculature, interstitium and glomerulus in regions closest to the MD.
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- Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41581-024-00853-x