Hyperactive Vasopressin Receptors and Disturbed Water Homeostasis

Regulation of water homeostasis is of vital importance for all terrestrial organisms. In most mammals, including humans, the maintenance of water balance is critically dependent on water intake, the sensation of thirst, and the regulation of water excretion in the kidney, which is under the control of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP).1 In the past decade, our insight into the AVP-mediated renal concentration mechanism has substantially improved with the elucidation of the roles of crucial molecular players in this process. The identification of disease-causing genes in hereditary disorders of water balance has been extremely helpful in identifying these pivotal . . .