Mitsi A. Blount PhD

Dr. Blount graduated in 1999 with a B.S. in Biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2005. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Emory University School of Medicine from 2005 to 2008. Currently Dr. Blount is a tenure track Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine's Renal Division.

Intracellular cAMP levels within kidney cells are increased in response to a variety of hormonal and chemical stimuli, including vasopressin. Vasopressin, a hormone released from the pituitary when the body is dehydrated, signals the kidneys to conserve water in order to maintain the body’s water balance. In the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), vasopressin increases water permeability allowing for water reabsorption from the tubule lumen thus setting the stage for the production of concentrated urine. Vasopressin binds to the V2 receptor located on the basolateral membrane of the IMCD, activates Gs, which in turn stimulates adenylyl cyclase to synthesize cAMP.