Autonomic nerves and circadian control of renal function

Abstract

Cardiovascular and renal physiology follow strong circadian rhythms. For instance, renal excretion of solutes and water is higher during the active period compared to the inactive period, and blood pressure peaks early in the beginning of the active period of both diurnal and nocturnal animals. The control of these rhythms is largely dependent on the expression of clock genes both in the central nervous system and within peripheral organs themselves. Although it is understood that the central and peripheral clocks interact and communicate, few studies have explored the specific mechanism by which various organ systems within the body are coordinated to control physiological processes. The renal sympathetic nervous innervation has long been known to have profound effects on renal function, and because the sympathetic nervous system follows strong circadian rhythms, it is likely that autonomic control of the kidney plays an integral role in modulating renal circadian function. This review highlights studies that provide insight into this interaction, discusses areas lacking clarity, and suggests the potential for future work to explore the role of renal autonomics in areas such as blood pressure control and chronic kidney disease.

Chronodisruption: A Poorly Recognized Feature of CKD

“…Changes in kidney oxygenation modulate HIF-1α activation and erythropoietin levels, which display an amplitude of more than 10-fold under constant darkness and normoxia in mice [15]. Blood pressure peaks early in the beginning of the active period of both diurnal and nocturnal animals [20]. Molecular clocks regulate sodium balance, sympathetic function and vascular tone, all contributing to blood pressure regulation.…”

“…An issue frequently overlooked by researchers is that the most common laboratory animals used to study kidney disease are rats and mice, which are nocturnal animals. Thus, essentially all experiments are performed during their inactive period and manipulation during this period risks creating chronodisruption which may have an unknown impact on experimental results [20]. This emphasizes the need for human studies.…”

The Circadian Clock and Viral Infections

“…Many factors can synchronize peripheral clocks, including the autonomic nervous system ( Becker et al, 2019 ; Garcia-Garcia and Mendez-Ferrer, 2020 ), body temperature ( Buhr et al, 2010 ), fasting/feeding cycles ( Wehrens et al, 2017 ; Lewis et al, 2020 ), and cytokines and hormones ( Astiz et al, 2019 ). The autonomic nervous system is influenced by the circadian clock, and some viruses can infect the peripheral and central nervous system ( Koyuncu et al, 2013 ); however, at the present time, there is no evidence for a direct interaction of viruses, clock, and the autonomic nervous system.…”

“…The influence of the SCN on the autonomic nervous system alters the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to hormones ( Buijs et al, 2006 ). Consequently, the same hormone stimulus may induce different responses dependent on the time of the day ( Becker et al, 2019 ; Garcia-Garcia and Mendez-Ferrer, 2020 ). The importance of the SCN as the main pacemaker becomes evident as transplantation of a functioning SCN reestablishes the circadian rhythm in genetically arrhythmic mice ( Ralph et al, 1990 ; Sujino et al, 2003 ); however, other extracellular cues can independently synchronize peripheral tissues.…”

A Personalized Signature and Chronotherapy-Based Platform for Improving the Efficacy of Sepsis Treatment

“…Loss of variability implies loss of regulation and is associated with disease states and poor prognosis (Costa et al, 2014;Singh et al, 2018). The ANS affects chronobiology in various biological systems (Thosar et al, 2018;Baschieri and Cortelli, 2019;Becker et al, 2019). The ANS, through shifting the balance between its sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, modulates the length of the heart cycle.…”