# Intramuscular Mechanisms Regulating Neurocirculatory Control in Chronic Kidney Disease

> **NIH NIH F32** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $34,281

## Abstract

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients have reduced physical capacity and exercise
intolerance that significantly decrease health-related quality of life. In addition, CKD patients
exhibit an exaggerated increase in blood pressure and sympathetic nervous system (SNS)
activation during physical activity, which not only contributes to exercise intolerance, but is also
associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. This exaggerated neurocirculatory
response during exercise is due, in part, to an enhanced reflex activation of the SNS via
heightened sensitization of muscle afferent nerves (i.e. exercise pressor reflex); however, the
mechanisms leading to the exaggerated exercise pressor reflex in CKD remain unknown. The
proposed project will explore the potential mechanistic role of augmented decreases in muscle
interstitial pH with exercise, and the exaggerated blood pressure response in CKD.
Furthermore, a novel amino acid supplementation regimen will be investigated as a method to
improve exercise hemodynamics and enhance the benefits of exercise training in CKD. These
findings will provide mechanistic insights into the exercise intolerance that characterizes CKD,
and also apply a practical pharmacologic and behavioral therapy to address this highly relevant
problem.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10486229
- **Project number:** 3F32HL147547-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Justin Daniel Sprick
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $34,281
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10486229

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10486229, Intramuscular Mechanisms Regulating Neurocirculatory Control in Chronic Kidney Disease (3F32HL147547-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10486229. Licensed CC0.

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