Martin Schepelmann, Marianna Ranieri, Irene Lopez-Fernandez, Thomas S Webberley, Sarah C Brennan, Polina L Yarova, Joao Graca, Umar-Khetaab Hanif, Christian Müller, Teresa Manhardt, Martina Salzmann, Helen Quasnichka, Sally A Price, Donald T Ward, Thierry Gilbert, Vladimir V Matchkov, Robert A Fenton, Amanda Herberger, Jenna Hwong, Christian Santa Maria, Chia-Ling Tu, Enikö Kallay, Giovanna Valenti, Wenhan Chang, Daniela Riccardi
BACKGROUND: Impaired mineral ion metabolism is a hallmark of CKD-metabolic bone disorder. It can lead to pathologic vascular calcification and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Loss of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) expression in vascular smooth muscle cells exacerbates vascular calcification in vitro. Conversely, vascular calcification can be reduced by calcimimetics, which function as allosteric activators of CaSR. METHODS: To determine the role of the CaSR in vascular calcification, we characterized mice with targeted Casr gene knockout in vascular smooth muscle cells ( SM22α CaSR Δflox/Δflox )...
July 2022: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN