Salt May Add Flavour To Meals, However It Is Harmful To Health

Sep, 2022 - By SMI

According to a recent study, immune cells' activation of the protein complex known as the NLRP3 inflammasome—which is implicated in the inflammatory response—contributes to salt-sensitive hypertension.

Undiagnosed and mistreated, the rise in blood pressure brought on by salt can be large enough to result in sudden cardiac death. It is a silent assassin. Researchers from Vanderbilt University have now found that immune cells' activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a protein complex implicated in the inflammatory response, is a factor in salt-sensitive hypertension. The results point to fresh approaches to this condition's diagnosis and care.

The new function of immune cells in salt-sensitive hypertension has been studied by Kirabo and her coworkers. They discovered that among salt-sensitive individuals, the NLRP3 inflammasome in a particular subtype of monocytes varied dynamically, rising blood pressure linked with salt intake. The researchers used mouse models to explore the mechanism after collecting data from human participants. Blood pressure's salt sensitivity was reduced or erased when the inflammasome was inhibited, and it was then recovered by reintroducing it. They demonstrated that the synthesis of isolevuglandin and salt input through the ENaC channel are required for inflammasome activation.

Inflammatory cytokine  which is generated by the inflammasome, IL-1beta, and inhibitors of ENaC should be given more attention by scientists. A prior clinical trial could not demonstrate the effectiveness of inhibiting IL-1beta on lowering blood pressure, despite the fact that the volunteers in this trial were not assessed for sensitivity to salt. ENaC inhibition has little value in the treatment of hypertension in the general population. These inhibitors might help those who are sensitive to salt lower their chance of developing cardiovascular disease.

The goal of the study is to describe the ENaC channel in immune cells and to comprehend how the pathway's components are controlled in these cells. The researchers may be able to treat blood pressure's salt sensitivity since they directly target the ENaC in immune cells.