Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Young Adult Colorectal Cancer Survivors.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has disrupted health care globally with dramatic impacts on cancer care delivery in addition to adverse economic and psychological effects. This study examined impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on young adult colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors diagnosed age 18-39 years. Nearly 40% reported delays in cancer-related care, loss of income, and poorer mental health during the pandemic. Impacts were greater for survivors aged 20-29 years, with nearly 60% reporting cancer care delays and 53% experiencing income loss. Such impacts may result in detrimental downstream outcomes for young CRC survivors, requiring specific support, resources, and continued monitoring.

The macula densa prorenin receptor is essential in renin release and blood pressure control.

The prorenin receptor (PRR) was originally proposed to be a member of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS); however, recent work questioned their association. The present paper describes a functional link between the PRR and RAS in the renal juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA), a classic anatomical site of the RAS. PRR expression was found in the sensory cells of the JGA, the macula densa (MD), and immunohistochemistry-localized PRR to the MD basolateral cell membrane in mouse, rat, and human kidneys. MD cell PRR activation led to MAP kinase ERK1/2 signaling and stimulation of PGE2 release, the classic pathway of MD-mediated renin release. Exogenous renin or prorenin added to the in vitro microperfused JGA-induced acute renin release, which was inhibited by removing the MD or by the administration of a PRR decoy peptide. To test the function of MD PRR in vivo, we established a new mouse model with inducible conditional knockout (cKO) of the PRR in MD cells based on neural nitric oxide synthase-driven Cre-lox recombination. Deletion of the MD PRR significantly reduced blood pressure and plasma renin. Challenging the RAS by low-salt diet + captopril treatment caused further significant reductions in blood pressure, renal renin, cyclooxygenase-2, and microsomal PGE synthase expression in cKO vs. wild-type mice. These results suggest that the MD PRR is essential in a novel JGA short-loop feedback mechanism, which is integrated within the classic MD mechanism to control renin synthesis and release and to maintain blood pressure.