Citrus Fruit and Kidney Cysts

Sophie Antonioli

Mr. Mathieu

April 18, 2014

Published: October 3, 2013

Royal Holloway, University of London

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131003095709.htm

Summary:

It has recently been stated in the British Journal of Pharmacology than a component of grapefruit and other citrus fruits, called naringenin can inhibit the formation of kidney cysts. These cysts on kidneys are known as polycystic kidney disease. If someone has this disease, they would have cysts on their kidneys that would grow and in most cases eventually lead to the loss of kidney functions when the cysts reach a certain size. The disease can lead to high blood pressure, need for dialysis and even death. Because there are not many treatments for this disease, this should be very helpful in the future and can provide insite on how to control the disease. According to the article, naringenin regulates a protein called PKD2 and this protein is responsible for polycystic kidney disease. As a result of this protein being regulated, the formation of cysts is blocked. To discover this, scientists used mammal kidneys and triggered cysts to form on them. They then added naringenin and observed that as the amount of PKD2 proteins decreased, the cysts growth decreased as well.

Connection:

This article connects to what we have learned this year for a few reasons. One being about the protein PKD2 and how it is specifically connects to one genetic trait, the formation of cysts and polycystic kidney disease. And another because the disease effects the kidneys, which are part of the excretory system, which we have yet to learn but will in the near future. The effects of this disease are also aspects of the curriculum we have already talked about, for example high blood pressure. The disease itself causes also homeostatic imbalance by affecting the function of the kidneys. We discussed many different homeostatic imbalances in class and this is just another one.