Background: Recent experimental findings demonstrate vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C)-mediated water-free storage of salt in the interstitium, which prevents a salt-sensitive blood pressure state. It is unknown whether this mechanism plays a role in salt homeostasis and regulation of blood pressure in humans as well. Therefore, we investigated circulating VEGF-C levels and blood pressure during different well-controlled salt intake in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and in healthy subjects.
Methods: In two crossover studies, non-diabetic proteinuric CKD patients (n = 32) and healthy subjects (n = 31) were treated with consecutively a low-sodium diet (LS, aim 50 mmol Na(+)/day) and a high-sodium diet (HS, aim 200 mmol Na(+)/day) in random order, during two 6-week (CKD patients) and two 1-week periods (healthy subjects).
Results: We found that VEGF-C levels are higher during HS than during LS in CKD patients (P = 0.034) with a trend towards higher VEGF-C in healthy subjects as well (P = 0.070). In CKD patients, HS was associated with higher NT-proBNP levels (P = 0.005) and body weight (P = 0.013), consistent with extracellular volume (ECV) expansion and with higher blood pressure (P < 0.001), indicating salt sensitivity. In healthy subjects, blood pressure was not affected by dietary salt (P = 0.14), despite a rise in ECV (P = 0.023).
Discussion: Our findings support a role for VEGF-C-mediated salt homeostasis in humans. Considering the salt sensitivity of blood pressure, this buffering mechanism appears to be insufficient in proteinuric CKD patients. Future studies are needed to provide causality and to substantiate the clinical and therapeutic relevance of this VEGF-C regulatory mechanism in humans.