Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a long-lasting condition in which the kidneys slowly lose their ability to remove waste and extra fluid from the blood.
The disease affects millions of people around the world and becomes more common with age, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
As kidney damage gets worse, many people eventually need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.
Although doctors can help slow the disease in some patients, there are still no approved medicines that can restore damaged kidney function.
Scientists are always looking for new ways to protect the kidneys before the damage becomes severe. A research team from Tohoku University in Japan has now found that a medicine normally used to treat constipation may also help slow the loss of kidney function. The study was led by Professor Takaaki Abe and was published in the journal Science Advances.
The idea came from an interesting observation. Many people with chronic kidney disease also suffer from constipation. Earlier studies suggested that constipation can change the balance of bacteria living in the gut, sometimes called the gut microbiome.
When this balance is disturbed, harmful substances may build up and place extra stress on the kidneys. The researchers wondered whether treating constipation could also improve kidney health.
The team carried out a clinical trial involving 150 people with moderate chronic kidney disease at nine hospitals across Japan. Participants received lubiprostone, a medicine already used to relieve constipation, so the researchers could see whether it affected the speed at which kidney function declined.
Kidney health was measured using estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR, which is a standard test used by doctors to assess how well the kidneys are filtering blood.
The results were encouraging. People who took lubiprostone showed a slower decline in kidney function than expected. The benefit was even greater in patients who received higher doses of the medicine, suggesting that the treatment may have a dose-related effect.
The researchers also explored why the medicine might work. They found that lubiprostone increased levels of a natural substance called spermidine. Higher spermidine levels appeared to support healthier gut bacteria, which in turn helped tiny structures inside cells called mitochondria work more efficiently. Mitochondria produce the energy that cells need, and healthier mitochondria may help protect kidney cells from further damage.
The researchers believe these findings could lead to a completely different way of treating chronic kidney disease. Instead of focusing only on removing waste products from the blood, future treatments may also aim to improve gut health and support the body’s natural energy production.
The team plans to carry out larger clinical trials and identify which patients are most likely to benefit, with the long-term goal of developing more personalised treatment plans.
Although more research is still needed before this approach becomes part of routine medical care, the findings offer fresh hope for people living with chronic kidney disease.
Because lubiprostone is already an approved medicine for constipation, researchers have a better understanding of its safety than they would for a completely new drug. If future studies confirm these results, this simple treatment could become an important new tool for slowing kidney damage and improving the lives of many patients.
The research was published in Science Advances.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about pesticide linked to chronic kidney disease, and this drug may prevent kidney failure in people with diabetes.
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