High-salt Diet Alters Kidney Metabolism, Other Metabolic Functions

Rockville, Md. (February 23, 2024)—A high-salt diet leads to alterations in kidney metabolism, according to researchers from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany. Kidneys are critical metabolic organs that are responsible for filtering, reabsorbing, secreting and metabolizing “vast amounts of small molecules” that form the basis of physiological homeostasis. This rat study also shows when the kidneys are challenged with excess salt, there is a net release of several amino acids into the bloodstream as compared to baseline conditions. The release includes some amino acids that are linked to cardiovascular disease. While this study details how a high-salt diet alters metabolic kidney function, the researchers stressed more studies are needed to better understand the metabolic ramifications of salt on renal and cardiovascular function. “These exciting observations add to the intriguing perspective that renal amino acid metabolism is a driver of salt response, and potentially even salt-sensitive hypertension,” the researchers wrote. The study is published in the journal Function.

Read the full article, “High salt remodels kidney metabolism: metabolite fuel, fate and signals,” published ahead of print in Function. Contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314 to schedule an interview with a member of the research team.