Newly Identified Molecule May Help Treat or Prevent Edema

Screening methods have identified a molecule called 4-acetyldiphyllin that blocks the phosphorylation and movement of aquaporin-2 water channels from within kidney cells to the cells' plasma membranes. In patients with chronic heart failure, aquaporin-2 remains permanently in the plasma membrane of the renal principal cell and filters out water from the primary urine, which contributes to edema. Published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the findings may help treat or prevent edema in patients because aquaporin-2 redistribution plays a key role in the regulation of water balance.