Naringenin, a flavonoid found in grapefruit juice, may be effective in preventing the development of polycystic kidney disease, reports the British Journal of Pharmacology.
Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disease that leads to kidney failure and the need for a transplant. There are currently no drugs available for this disease. Treatment is only symptomatic and supportive. Autosomal inherited polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) affects one in ten people requiring dialysis and one in eight after transplantation.
To study the effect of naringenin on the regulation of the activity of the PKD2 gene responsible for the development of the disease, British scientists cultivated the kidney cells in which they caused the disease in the laboratory. They then managed to block its development by administering naringenin, which lowered the level of the PKD2 protein.
We are already in the process of further research to better understand the molecular mechanism of action of naringenin, says Dr. Mark Carew from Kingston University in London, co-author of the analysis (PAP).