AUTHOR=Mortensen Line Aas , Bistrup Claus , Thiesson Helle Charlotte 

TITLE=Does Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonism Prevent Calcineurin Inhibitor-Induced Nephrotoxicity?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2017

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2017.00210

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2017.00210

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) have markedly reduced acute rejection rates in renal transplantation, thus significantly improved short-term outcome. The beneficial effects are, however, tampered by acute and chronic nephrotoxicity leading to interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, which impairs long-term allograft survival. The mineralocorticoid hormone aldosterone induces fibrosis in numerous organs, including the kidney. Evidence from animal models suggests a beneficial effect of aldosterone antagonism in reducing CNI induced nephrotoxicity. This review summarizes current evidence of mineralocorticoid antagonism in animal models of CNI induced nephrotoxicity and the results from studies of mineralocorticoid antagonism in renal transplant patients.