Akt/GSK-3β介导高糖上调肾小管上皮细胞Snail1的表达

 目的：观察高糖对原代肾小管上皮细胞Snail1和蛋白激酶B/糖原合成酶激酶3β（Akt/GSK-3β）信号通路的影响，探讨糖尿病肾病时Snail1表达的调节机制。方法：原代培养大鼠肾小管上皮细胞（RTECs），随机分为正常糖对照组、高渗组和高糖组。Western blotting检测不同处理组 RTECs不同培养时点（30 min、2 h、12 h、24 h、48 h和72 h）Snail1、Akt1、GSK-3β、磷酸化Akt（p-Akt，Ser473）和磷酸化GSK-3β（p-GSK-3β，Ser9）蛋白的水平。RT-PCR检测Snail1、Akt1和GSK3β mRNA的表达。RTECs以磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶（PI3K）抑制剂LY294002（25 μmol/L）预处理50 min，再与高糖共同培养24 h，Western blotting检测上述指标蛋白的表达。结果：与正常糖对照组比较，高糖组RTECs Snail1和Akt1蛋白和mRNA的表达上调，p-Akt及p-GSK-3β蛋白表达增加，但总GSK-3β蛋白和mRNA表达无变化。以LY294002处理后，高糖组RTECs Snail1、p-Akt及p-GSK-3β蛋白表达水平较未处理高糖组明显下降，但LY294002不影响总Akt1和GSK-3β蛋白表达。结论：Akt/GSK-3β可能介导了高糖诱导的RTECs锌指转录因子Snail1的表达上调。

Up-regulation of Snail1 expression in renal tubular epithelial cells through Akt/GSK-3β pathway under high-glucose condition

AIM: To examine the effects of high glucose (HG) on the expression of Snail1 and protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) in primary renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs). METHODS: The primary RTECs were randomly treated with normal glucose, high glucose or D-mannitol for 30 min~72 h. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to observe the expression of Snail1, Akt and GSK-3β at mRNA and protein levels in these cells. The primary cultured RTECs were pretreated with LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor, 25 μmol/L) to observe the specific inhibitory effects of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) on HG-induced expression of Snail1 protein. RESULTS: Treatment of RTECs with HG resulted in increased mRNA and protein levels of Snail1, Akt1, and phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β. LY294002 blocked the HG-induced up-regulation of p-Akt, p-GSK-3β and Snail1 expression at protein level, but no effect of LY294002 was seen on the total protein expression of Akt1 and GSK-3β. HG did not affect the expression of GSK-3β at mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSION: HG-induced up-regulation of Snail1 may be regulated by Akt/GSK-3β pathway in RTECs.