Proton channels and renal hypertensive injury: a key piece of the Dahl salt-sensitive rat puzzle?

Hv1 is a voltage-gated proton channel highly expressed in phagocytic cells, where it participates in the NADPH oxidase-dependent respiratory burst. We have recently identified Hv1 as a novel renal channel, expressed in the renal medullary thick ascending limb that appears to importantly contribute to the pathogenesis of renal hypertensive injury in the Dahl salt-sensitive rat model. The purpose of this review is to describe the experimental approaches that we have undertaken to identify the source of excess reactive oxygen species production in the renal outer medulla of Dahl salt-sensitive rats and the resulting evidence that the voltage-gated proton channel Hv1 mediates augmented superoxide production and contributes to renal medullary oxidative stress and renal injury. In addition, we will attempt to point out areas of current controversy, as well as propose areas in which further experimental studies are likely to move the field forward. The content of the following review was presented as part of the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section New Investigator Award talk at Experimental Biology 2014.