The endothelium as part of the integrative glomerular barrier complex

A new study by Xu et al. presents compelling evidence for an important role of the glomerular endothelium in acute kidney injury. They show that lipopolysaccharide reduces the endothelial surface layer, resulting in mild albuminuria, reduced glomerular filtration rate, and fewer endothelial fenestrae. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is identified as instrumental in these lipopolysaccharide effects through the TNF-alpha type 1 receptor. The study highlights that the glomerular endothelium has a key role in the maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier.