Pirfenidone prevents the progression of irreversible glomerular sclerotic lesions in rats

Summary: Pirfenidone (PFD) is a new drug which has been shown to prevent or even reverse the extracellular matrix accumulation in several organs. to examine the effect of PFD on the progressive glomerulosclerosis, we treated model rats with irreversible chronic renal disease per orally with 500 mg/kg bodyweight of PFD per day. the model rats were made by intravenous injection of anti-Thy-1 monoclonal antibody 1-22-3 at 1 h following unilateral nephrectomy, which results in chronic progressive glomerulosclerosis. Twenty-four hours later, 32 female Wistar rats were divided into two groups and were fed standard chow with (PFD group: P) or without PFD (control group: C). All rats were sacrificed on day 42. No significant difference in the bodyweight or the amount of chow intake was observed between the two groups. the remnant kidney was significantly ( P <0.05) heavier in C (2.11 ± 0.15 g) than in P (1.70 ± 0.13 g). This finding, together with light microscopic findings, showed that PFD administration resulted in the prevention of renal hypertrophy. On day 42, proteinuria in P (124.3 ± 31.9 mg/day) was significantly lower than in C (214.6 ± 8.1 mg/day), and P maintained significantly better renal function than C as judged by serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. Mean matrix score was less in P (178 ± 17) than in C (225 ± 22). Crescent formation was observed in 17% of glomeruli in P and in 35% in C. Tubulointerstitial lesions were also less severe in P. Furthermore, inflammation and sclerosis indices detected by immunohistochemistry (e.g. ED-1, OX8, TGF-beta α-smooth muscle actin, collagen type I, were less in P). These data suggest that PFD may be a promising agent for the prevention of progressive and irreversible glomerulosclerosis.     

Immunoelectron microscopic study on type I, II and III TGF-beta receptors on visceral glomerular epithelial cells in relation to glomerular basement membrane alterations in proteinuric rats.

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta is a regulator of extracellular matrix accumulation. Both TGF-beta receptors, type I (TbetaRI) and type II (TbetaRII), may be required for signal transduction in the TGF-beta pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the TGF-beta pathways and glomerular basement membrane (GBM) accumulation in vivo. METHODS: We examined TbetaRI, II, and III protein expression on visceral glomerular epithelial cells (GEP) in relation to GBM alterations in passive Heymann nephritis (PHN), anti-GBM nephritis and anti-thymocyte serum (ATS) nephritis. Renal tissues were examined by pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy 3, 7 and 14 days after induction of nephritis in rats. RESULTS: In normal control rats TbetaRI was not detected on GEP, TbetaRII expression was very occasionally found on GEP and TbetaRIII was seen in the cytoplasm of the GEP. TbetaRI, TbetaRII, and TbetaRIII were constitutively expressed on glomerular endothelial cells. By day 3 of anti-GBM nephritis and PHN, expression of TbetaRI, TbetaRII, and TbetaRIII was still similar to that of normal control rats, and GBM alterations in both models were not prominent except for deposit formation in PHN. From day 7 onwards, in both models, expression of TbetaRI and TbetaRII on GEP increased in association with GBM thickening. Expression of TbetaRIII in the cytoplasm of the GEP was increased, with occasional positive staining being seen on the urinary surface of the GEP from day 7 onwards. On the other hand, at day 3 of ATS nephritis, increased expression of TbetaRI and TbetaRII on GEP was noted, but from day 7 onwards, expression of TbetaR II on GEP dramatically decreased. Expression of TbetaRIII in the cytoplasm of the GEP also transiently increased at day 3. GBM thickening was not noted in ATS nephritis. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that persistent upregulation of expression of TbetaRI, TbetaRII and possibly TbetaRIII on GEP may contribute to GBM matrix accumulation in vivo.     

Role of collagen enzymatic and glycation induced cross-links as a determinant of bone quality in spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rats

Introduction Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of fracture, although type 2 diabetes is often characterized by normal bone mineral density (BMD). Enzymatic and glycation-induced non-enzymatic cross-links play important roles in the expression of bone strength. The serum vitamin B6 concentration is lower in patients with diabetes than in healthy controls. The aim our study was to see if spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rats in the pre- and post-onset of diabetes would serve as a suitable model for studying the pathogenesis of the susceptibility to fracture in diabetes without the reduction of bone mineral density. Seventy male WBN/Kob rats were obtained at the ages of 1 to 18 months.Methods Seventy normal male Wistar rats were used as the non-diabetic, age-matched control. The contents of enzymatic cross-links (dihydroxylysinonorleucine, hydroxylysinonorleucine, lysinonorleucine, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline) and non-enzymatic cross-links (pentosidine) were determined in femoral bone. We also analyzed the serum concentration of vitamin B6 (pyridoxal and pyridoxamine), femoral BMD and a three-point bending test of the femur.Results A low level of serum vitamin B6 was associated with a decrease in enzymatic crosslinking in bone during the subclinical diabetes stage. After the onset of diabetes, there was a steady decrease in enzymatic cross-links and a steep increase in pentosidine. Furthermore, impaired bone mechanical properties in the WBN/Kob rats despite the lack of reduction in BMD coincided with impaired enzymatic cross-link formation and increases in glycation-induced pentosidine.Conclusions These results indicate that the alteration of enzymatic and non-enzymatic crosslinking in bone could be important for explaining the variation of fracture susceptibility in diabetes.     

Redistribution of connexin43 expression in glomerular podocytes predicts poor renal prognosis in patients with type 2 diabetes and overt nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Significance of podocyte injury in the progression of diabetic nephropathy is not well-understood. In this study, we examined whether alteration of gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43) expression in podocytes is associated with the progression of overt diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: We recruited 29 type 2 diabetic patients with overt nephropathy who underwent renal biopsy. Nephrectomized kidney samples obtained from seven subjects with localized neoplasm and biopsy specimens from five patients diagnosed as minor glomerular abnormalities were used as controls. Cx43 staining on paraffin-embedded kidney sections were studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In controls, Cx43 was expressed at podocytes in a linear pattern along the glomerular basement membrane. In contrast, downregulation and loss of uniformly linear staining of Cx43 (Cx43 heterogeneity) in podocytes were observed in diabetic nephropathy. Cx43 intensity correlated with current renal function (R = 0.647, P < 0.005), whereas the magnitude of Cx43 heterogeneity correlated well with the degree of future decline in renal function (R = -0.705, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Alteration of Cx43 expression in podocytes was closely associated with the progression of overt diabetic nephropathy. These results indicate that change in Cx43 expression at podocytes represents a progressive stage in overt diabetic nephropathy and that it may be a convenient way to predict future decline in renal function.     

Protein gene product 9.5 and ubiquitin are expressed in metabolically active epithelial cells of normal and pathologic human kidney.

BACKGROUND: In a study initially designed to evaluate the specific protein gene product 9.5 expression in parietal epithelial cells of Bowman's capsule, a marked positivity was also observed in the tubular and collecting duct epithelial cells. Since protein gene product 9.5 is an important enzyme in the ubiquitin system of proteolysis, and plays a regulatory role in cell cycle and proliferation, its presence in specific segments of the nephron was of considerable interest. METHODS: We investigated protein gene product 9.5 and ubiquitin expression in both normal and pathologic renal samples (more than 100 cases) using an immunohistochemical technique. RESULTS: We found that protein gene product 9.5 and ubiquitin were constantly present in Bowman's capsule parietal cells and tubular/collecting duct epithelial cells, with the strongest positivity in metabolically active and proliferative conditions, such as tubular hypertrophy, cellular regeneration and crescent formation. Conversely, the expression of these molecules was attenuated in atrophic tubules. Podocytes were negative. CONCLUSION: The diffuse presence of the protein gene product 9.5 and ubiquitin in normal and pathologic metabolically active epithelial cells of the nephron suggests that these proteins (and likely the whole ubiquitin-proteasome complex) play a fundamental role in the mechanism upregulating protein metabolism of the kidney and that its expression is correlated with activated cellular functions, like proliferation.     

氧化应激介导糖尿病大鼠肾小管上皮细胞转分化及普罗布考的干预作用

目的 研究氧化应激在糖尿病肾病（DN）大鼠肾小管上皮细胞转分化中的作用,探讨抗氧化剂普罗布考对大鼠DN的肾脏保护作用。 方法 30只雄性SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、DN组和普罗布考干预组（1％普罗布考饮食）,每组10只。分别于第3周、第8周及第12周检测24 h尿蛋白（UTP）;12周末检测各组大鼠血糖、血脂（胆固醇、三酰甘油）、Scr、肌酐清除率（Ccr）、肾脏组织匀浆液丙二醛（MDA）含量及谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GSH-Px）活性。肾组织病理切片行 HE和Masson染色;采用免疫组化和Western印迹检测肾组织核转录因子Sp1、α平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）及E钙黏蛋白（E-cadherin）表达。 结果 与正常对照组比较,DN组血糖、Scr、肾组织匀浆MDA和24 h UTP水平显著增高（均P < 0.01）,Ccr显著降低（P < 0.01）;肾组织肾小管损伤分数、α-SMA和 Sp1蛋白表达水平明显增高（均P < 0.01）;肾组织E-cadherin蛋白表达明显下调。肾组织MDA含量分别与α-SMA及Sp1蛋白表达呈正相关（r ＝ 0.896,P < 0.01;r ＝ 0.862,P < 0.01）,与E-cadherin蛋白表达呈负相关（r = -0.673, P < 0.01）。普罗布考干预组Scr、24 h UTP、肾组织MDA、肾小管损伤分数及肾组织α-SMA、 Sp1蛋白表达水平较DN组均明显降低（均P < 0.01）;Ccr和肾组织E-cadherin蛋白表达水平较DN组均明显增加（均P < 0.01）。 结论 氧化应激在DN大鼠肾小管上皮细胞转分化中起重要作用。普罗布考可能通过抗氧化、下调肾组织Sp1蛋白表达及抑制肾小管上皮细胞转分化延缓DN大鼠肾脏病变进展。     

Cell-surface matrix proteins and sialic acids in cell-crystal adhesion; the effect of crystal binding on the viability of human CAKI-1 renal epithelial cells

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of sialic acids and cellular matrix proteins as crystal-binding molecules in human calcium-oxalate nephrolithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The well-defined human renal cancer cell line CAKI-1 was used a standard cell culture system. After enzymatic digestion of various cell surface molecules, the binding of alpha2,6 (Sambucus nigra, SN-) and alpha2,3 (Maackia amurensis, MA)-specific lectins to CAKI-1 cells was analysed. Simultaneously, the effect on adhesion and release of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals was investigated (eight replicates). The effect of crystal adhesion on cell viability was assessed using Trypan blue exclusion (five replicates). RESULTS: Neuraminidase decreased MA-lectin binding of CAKI-1 cells by 39% (P < 0.05) but elevated SN-lectin binding by 812% (P < 0.05). Simultaneously, crystal binding to CAKI-1 cells was increased by 28% (P > 0.05). Pretreatment with collagenase type I, trypsin and dispase II reduced crystal-binding by 61-74% (P < 0.05) with no effect on sialic acid-specific lectin-binding. However, only collagenase type I and dispase (ratio 4 : 1) were also able to release crystals from their receptor-binding sites (P < 0.05). An increase in the number of cell surface-bound crystals correlated significantly with a decrease in cell viability (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: alpha2,3-linked sialic acids protect cells from crystal-binding. Much greater SN-lectin binding associated with only moderately increased crystal binding argues against alpha2,6-linked sialic acids as a main target structure of crystals. In contrast, collagen type I, type IV and/or fibronectin seem to be potent crystal-binding molecules on human renal epithelial cells, with collagen type I involved in a potential second step of crystal-cell interaction.     

Course of the initial epithelial lesions associated with autologous bile duct replacement: Experimental study in rats

Mucosal lesions and healing of the common bile duct were analyzed after various chemical and surgical insults in the rat by means of histologic and scanning electron microscopic investigations. Autogenous bile duct replacement is rapidly associated within the first 72 postoperative hours with complete epithelial cell desquamation, and its precocious consequence is biliary sludge. These lesions also occurred when the bile flow was diverted; the extrinsic devascularization and denervation did not produce extensive epithelial cell loss. Heparin perfusion within the biliary tree or the induction by glycerol of epithelial cell loss before bile duct transplantation is suggested in order to avoid extensive biliary sludge after bile duct transplantation.