Increased cyclooxygenase-2, hyperfiltration, glomerulosclerosis, and diabetic nephropathy: put the blame on the (pro)renin receptor?

Interaction between the renin-angiotensin system and cyclooxygenases in the kidney regulates renal microcirculation. Activation of the (pro)renin receptor has profibrotic effects, and now Kaneshiroet al. show that it also increases COX-2 synthesis. These results may have therapeutic implications, as blocking (pro)renin-receptor interaction would prevent the increase of angiotensin generation and prostaglandin synthesis, two phenomena underlying the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy.