Dr. Petrovic's research interests focus on kidney acid-base physiology and regulation of ion transport in kidney tubules and polarized epithelial cells by pH-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors. Metabolic acidosis is a common acid-base disturbance associated with kidney disease. It facilitates progression of kidney disease and contributes to severe disturbances of calcium homeostasis that are major predictors of mortality in kidney patients. We study pH-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors, GPR4 and the calcium receptor, which also regulates calcium homeostasis. We are interested in how these receptors relay information about blood pH to kidney cells and how they link acid-base and calcium homeostasis. In our studies, we combine microperfusion of isolated kidney nephron segments, ratiometric and FRET imaging, transgenic animal models, and RNA interference.
Sun X, Petrovic S. Increased acid load and deletion of AE1 increase Slc26a7expression. Nephron Physiol. 2008;109(3):p29-35. Epub 2008 Jul 25. PubMed PMID:18663336.
Sun X, Soleimani M, Petrovic S. Decreased expression of Slc26a4 (Pendrin) and Slc26a7 in the kidneys of carbonic anhydrase II-deficient mice. Cell PhysiolBiochem. 2008;21(1-3):95-108. Epub 2008 Jan 16. PubMed PMID: 18209476.
Petrovic S, Barone S, Wang Z, McDonough AA, Amlal H, Soleimani M. Slc26a6(PAT1) deletion downregulates the apical Na+/H+ exchanger in the straight segmentof the proximal tubule. Am J Nephrol. 2008;28(2):330-8. Epub 2007 Nov 29. PubMed PMID: 18046080.
Petrovic S, Amlal H, Sun X, Karet F, Barone S, Soleimani M. Vasopressininduces expression of the Cl-/HCO3- exchanger SLC26A7 in kidney medullarycollecting ducts of Brattleboro rats. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2006May;290(5):F1194-201. Epub 2005 Dec 13. PubMed PMID: 16352747.
Amlal H, Sheriff S, Faroqui S, Ma L, Barone S, Petrovic S, Soleimani M.Regulation of acid-base transporters by vasopressin in the kidney collecting ductof Brattleboro rat. Am J Nephrol. 2006;26(2):194-205. Epub 2006 May 11. PubMedPMID: 16699257.