Circadian rhythms in renal metabolism

Abstract

The kidney has one of the highest resting metabolic rates among human tissues. Most of the produced ATP is used for solutes and water reabsorption along the renal tubule. However, circadian rhythmicity in the glomerular filtration rate results in substantial circadian variations in the amounts of solutes and water to be reabsorbed at a given circadian time. Moreover, circadian rhythmicity in the renal blood flow causes circadian oscillations in available oxygen and metabolic substrates in kidney tissue. Collectively, this suggests that processes involved in energy consumption and energy production in the kidney follow circadian rhythms that parallel those in tubular reabsorption. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the identification of rhythmic renal metabolic pathways that are entrained by the intrinsic tubular circadian clock.