In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), there are negative associations between the sodium (Na-Cl) cotransporter (NCC) and its phosphorylation (pNCC) in urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) and plasma potassium, according to data published in Nephrology. This finding suggests that the mechanism at play is distinct from the overall kidney function, according to the investigators, and that potassium supplements within a safe level can potentially assist in natriuresis and improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with CKD.
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Previously, using uEVs, a noninvasive source and tool to identify potential biomarkers to mirror molecular processes and both physiological and pathological conditions in the kidney, the functional “renal-K switch” mechanism—otherwise…