Chronic kidney disease, often called CKD, is a long-term condition in which the kidneys slowly lose their ability to filter waste and extra fluid from the blood.
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that help keep the body healthy by removing waste, balancing minerals, controlling fluid levels, and helping regulate blood pressure.
When the kidneys stop working well, harmful waste can build up in the body.
If the disease becomes severe, many people need regular dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant to survive.
CKD affects millions of people worldwide and is becoming more common as the population ages and diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure increase.
Although doctors have medicines that can slow the disease in many patients, there are still no approved drugs that can directly restore kidney function. Because of this, scientists continue to search for new ways to protect the kidneys before permanent damage occurs.
Now, researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have reported an unexpected discovery. A medicine normally used to treat constipation may also help slow the worsening of chronic kidney disease. The research was led by Professor Takaaki Abe and was published in the journal Science Advances.
The medicine is called lubiprostone. Doctors have prescribed it for years to help people with long-term constipation by increasing the movement of fluid into the intestines, making bowel movements easier. At first, it might seem unrelated to kidney disease. However, the researchers believed there could be an important connection between the gut and the kidneys.
People with CKD often suffer from constipation. Scientists have learned that constipation can change the balance of bacteria living in the intestines, known as the gut microbiome. These bacteria play an important role in human health.
When their balance is disturbed, they can produce harmful substances that travel through the bloodstream and may place extra stress on the kidneys. This idea led the research team to ask an important question: if constipation is treated, could kidney health also improve?
To answer this question, the researchers carried out a clinical trial involving 150 people with moderate chronic kidney disease. The study was conducted in nine hospitals across Japan. Some patients received lubiprostone while their kidney function was carefully monitored over time.
The results were encouraging. Patients who took lubiprostone experienced a slower decline in kidney function than expected. The researchers measured kidney health using estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, which is one of the most common blood test measurements doctors use to estimate how well the kidneys filter waste.
A higher eGFR generally means better kidney function. The protective effect appeared stronger in people who received higher doses of the medicine.
The scientists also wanted to understand why the drug seemed to help the kidneys. Their research showed that lubiprostone increased levels of a natural substance called spermidine. Spermidine helps support healthy gut bacteria.
Healthier gut bacteria, in turn, appeared to improve the performance of mitochondria, which are tiny structures inside cells that produce most of the energy needed for normal cell function. Healthy mitochondria are important because they help cells repair themselves and resist damage. Better mitochondrial function may therefore help protect kidney cells from further injury.
Although these findings are exciting, the researchers stress that more work is still needed. This was an important clinical trial, but larger studies involving more patients will be necessary to confirm the results. The team also hopes to discover which patients are most likely to benefit from lubiprostone so that treatments can be tailored to each person’s needs.
The study highlights a growing area of medical research known as the gut-kidney connection. Instead of focusing only on the kidneys themselves, scientists are learning that other parts of the body, especially the digestive system, may strongly influence kidney health. Improving gut health could become an important part of future CKD treatment.
If future studies confirm these results, lubiprostone or similar medicines could offer doctors a completely new way to slow kidney disease. Rather than simply treating the complications of CKD, doctors may one day be able to better protect the kidneys by improving gut health and supporting the body’s natural energy systems.
This research offers new hope for people living with chronic kidney disease. While patients should not start taking lubiprostone unless advised by their doctor, the findings show that unexpected treatments can sometimes lead to major medical breakthroughs.
Continued research may help scientists develop safer and more effective ways to protect kidney function and improve quality of life for millions of people around the world.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about how to protect your kidneys from diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce risk of kidney injury.
For more health information, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent recurrence of kidney stones, and eating nuts linked to lower risk of chronic kidney disease and death.
The research was published in the journal Science Advances.
