Project Grant R01DK140219

This $467,473 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) will fund research by Virginia Commonwealth University to investigate the role of the acid ceramidase-sphingosine-1-phosphate (AC-S1P) pathway in the kidneys and its impact on salt-sensitive hypertension.

The key objectives are to: 1) Determine if activation of the AC-S1P pathway in the renal medulla promotes sodium excretion and mitigates salt-sensitive hypertension, 2) Evaluate if deficiency in the AC-S1P pathway contributes to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension in a preclinical model, and 3) Examine the mechanisms by which the transcription factor AP2A regulates AC expression in the renal medulla and how this is impaired in salt-sensitive hypertension. The research aims to uncover novel molecular mechanisms underlying renal sodium handling and salt-sensitive hypertension, which could lead to new therapeutic approaches.