Scientists studying the effects of heart attack on kidney function recently made an unexpected discovery: Heart attacks actually provide short-term protection for the kidneys from subsequent acute injury. In a new mouse study, researchers report that oxygen content was reduced and activation of pathways sensitive to a lack of oxygen were stimulated in the kidneys after a heart attack. The research team also found that the protection seen in the kidneys post-heart attack was similar to protection observed in a separate group of animals that had healthy kidneys, yet were exposed to lower oxygen content in the air. The research paper has been chosen as an APSselect article for April.