Chronic kidney disease is a serious long-term illness that affects millions of people around the world. Doctors often call it CKD.
The condition develops when the kidneys slowly lose their ability to properly clean waste products and extra fluid from the blood.
Healthy kidneys perform many important jobs inside the body. They remove toxins, balance fluids, control minerals such as potassium and sodium, help regulate blood pressure, and support the production of red blood cells.
When kidneys stop working properly, waste products can build up in the body and lead to serious health problems.
In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, people may not notice many symptoms. As the condition worsens, patients can develop fatigue, swelling, nausea, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath, and problems with urination.
In severe cases, the kidneys may eventually fail completely. When this happens, patients often need dialysis, a treatment that filters the blood using a machine, or a kidney transplant to survive.
Although doctors can sometimes slow kidney disease using medications and lifestyle changes, there are currently no approved treatments that can fully restore kidney function once major damage occurs.
Now, researchers from Tohoku University believe they may have found a surprising new way to help protect the kidneys using a drug normally prescribed for constipation.
The research team was led by Professor Takaaki Abe, and the findings were published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
The medication studied is called Lubiprostone. Doctors usually prescribe this drug to help treat constipation by increasing fluid movement in the intestines and making bowel movements easier.
At first glance, constipation and kidney disease may not seem connected. However, the researchers became interested after noticing that many patients with chronic kidney disease also suffer from constipation.
Scientists have increasingly discovered that the gut and kidneys are closely linked.
The digestive system contains trillions of bacteria that help break down food, support the immune system, and produce important substances used throughout the body. This collection of bacteria is often called the gut microbiome.
When the balance of gut bacteria becomes unhealthy, harmful chemicals and inflammation may increase inside the body. Researchers now believe these changes may contribute to kidney damage and worsen chronic kidney disease.
Constipation may further disturb the gut environment by slowing the movement of waste through the intestines. This can allow harmful substances and bacteria to build up.
Professor Abe and his team therefore wondered whether improving constipation and restoring healthier gut activity might also help protect the kidneys.
To investigate this idea, the researchers conducted a clinical trial involving 150 patients with moderate chronic kidney disease.
The study was carried out at nine hospitals across Japan.
Participants received lubiprostone treatment, and researchers carefully monitored changes in kidney function over time.
Scientists measured kidney performance using a common test called estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR. This test estimates how well the kidneys filter waste from the blood.
A falling eGFR usually means kidney disease is worsening.
The researchers found encouraging results.
Patients who received lubiprostone showed a slower decline in kidney function compared with what doctors would normally expect in chronic kidney disease.
The protective effect appeared stronger in patients receiving higher doses of the medication.
Researchers then explored why the drug might be helping the kidneys.
They discovered that lubiprostone increased levels of a natural substance called spermidine inside the body.
Spermidine appears to support healthier gut bacteria and improve the function of mitochondria, which are tiny structures inside cells that produce energy.
Mitochondria are often described as the “powerhouses” of cells because they generate the energy needed for cells to function properly.
When mitochondria become damaged, cells may lose energy, experience stress, and become more vulnerable to injury. Mitochondrial problems are believed to contribute to many chronic diseases, including kidney disease.
By improving mitochondrial function, the researchers believe lubiprostone may help kidney cells stay healthier and resist further damage.
The findings are important because they suggest that treating the digestive system may indirectly improve kidney health.
Traditionally, most kidney disease treatments focus mainly on filtering toxins, controlling blood pressure, managing diabetes, or reducing strain on the kidneys.
This new study suggests that supporting gut health and improving cellular energy systems may also play an important role.
Researchers say the discovery could eventually lead to a completely new approach for managing chronic kidney disease.
The team now plans to test lubiprostone in larger groups of patients to confirm the results and better understand which patients may benefit the most.
Scientists also hope future research may help doctors create more personalized treatment plans for people with chronic kidney disease.
The findings may have implications beyond kidney disease as well.
Because mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in many illnesses, researchers believe similar approaches may eventually help treat other diseases linked to energy problems inside cells.
Even though the results are promising, experts caution that the research is still in relatively early stages. More studies will be needed before lubiprostone can become a standard kidney disease treatment.
Still, scientists say the work highlights how different organs in the body are closely connected. Problems in the gut may influence the kidneys, just as kidney disease can affect many other systems throughout the body.
The study also demonstrates how existing medications sometimes reveal unexpected new uses when researchers better understand how diseases work.
For millions of people living with chronic kidney disease, the discovery offers hope that future treatments may go beyond simply slowing kidney failure and may eventually help protect kidney function more directly.
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