Glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) are specialized vascular smooth muscle cells that play a critical role in the control of glomerular hemodynamics. One of intriguing features of MCs is their extraordinary abundance in gap junctions (GJs). It has long been speculated that GJs in MCs may bridge each MC together and provide the mesangium with the characteristics of a functional syncytium. Accumulating scientific evidence supports this idea. In addition, GJs are implicated in the control of many cellular processes of MCs, including growth, differentiation and survival. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the roles of GJs in glomerular pathophysiology.
A 2005 study studied this question.