1. Academic Validation
  2. The protease corin regulates electrolyte homeostasis in eccrine sweat glands

The protease corin regulates electrolyte homeostasis in eccrine sweat glands

  • PLoS Biol. 2021 Feb 16;19(2):e3001090. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001090.
Meiling He 1 2 Tiantian Zhou 1 Yayan Niu 1 3 Wansheng Feng 1 Xiabing Gu 1 3 Wenting Xu 4 Shengnan Zhang 1 3 Zhiting Wang 1 Yue Zhang 1 Can Wang 1 Liang Dong 1 Meng Liu 1 Ningzheng Dong 1 3 Qingyu Wu 1 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Cyrus Tang Hematology Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Prevention, the First Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
  • 2 Department of Nephrology, the People's Hospital of Suzhou New District, Suzhou, China.
  • 3 MOH Key Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Jiangsu Institute of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
  • 4 International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital of China Welfare Institute, Shanghai, China.
  • 5 Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, United States of America.
Abstract

Sweating is a basic skin function in body temperature control. In sweat glands, salt excretion and reabsorption are regulated to avoid electrolyte imbalance. To date, the mechanism underlying such regulation is not fully understood. Corin is a transmembrane Protease that activates atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a cardiac hormone essential for normal blood volume and pressure. Here, we report an unexpected role of corin in sweat glands to promote sweat and salt excretion in regulating electrolyte homeostasis. In human and mouse eccrine sweat glands, corin and ANP are expressed in the luminal epithelial cells. In corin-deficient mice on normal- and high-salt diets, sweat and salt excretion is reduced. This phenotype is associated with enhanced epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC) activity that mediates Na+ and water reabsorption. Treatment of amiloride, an ENaC inhibitor, normalizes sweat and salt excretion in corin-deficient mice. Moreover, treatment of aldosterone decreases sweat and salt excretion in wild-type (WT), but not corin-deficient, mice. These results reveal an important regulatory function of corin in eccrine sweat glands to promote sweat and salt excretion.

Figures
Products