American journal of physiology. Renal physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. · Oct 2009
Ghrelin protects mice against endotoxemia-induced acute kidney injury.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) in septic patients drastically increases the mortality to 50-80%. Sepsis is characterized by hemodynamic perturbations as well as overwhelming induction of proinflammatory cytokines. Since ghrelin has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, we hypothesized that ghrelin may afford renal protection during endotoxemia-induced AKI. ⋯ The renal protective effect of ghrelin was associated with an inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokines. Of particular importance was the suppression of TNF-alpha both in the circulation and kidney tissues. Thus, ghrelin may be a promising peptide in managing endotoxemia-induced AKI.
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Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. · Oct 2009
Human heat shock protein 27-overexpressing mice are protected against acute kidney injury after hepatic ischemia and reperfusion.
Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) causes acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice characterized by renal endothelial cell apoptosis, renal tubular necrosis, inflammation, and filamentous (F)-actin disruption. Since heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) protects against apoptosis, necrosis, and stabilizes F-actin, we questioned whether overexpression of human HSP27 (huHSP27 OE) in mice would attenuate AKI after liver IRI. Twenty-four hours after hepatic IRI, HSP27 wild-type (WT) mice developed acute liver and kidney injury with elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase and creatinine, a reduced glomerular filtration rate, and histological evidence of renal endothelial cell apoptosis and tubular injury (necrosis, vacuolization, and F-actin disruption). ⋯ Finally, the kidney plays a major role in the hepatoprotective effects of huHSP27 overexpression as the hepatoprotection was reduced or abolished in mice subjected to unilateral or bilateral nephrectomy, respectively. Our results show that overexpression of huHSP27 protects against hepatic injury and AKI associated with liver IRI in vivo. Harnessing the mechanisms of cytoprotection with renal HSP27 may lead to new therapies for the perioperative AKI and liver injury associated with liver IRI.
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Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. · Oct 2009
Peritubular capillary preservation with COMP-angiopoietin-1 decreases ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury.
Ischemia followed by reperfusion induces microvascular endothelial cell injury, leading to the loss of functions such as regulation of vascular tone, tissue perfusion, permeability, and inflammation in kidney. Improvement of this endothelial dysfunction could be a good approach to treating ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal injury. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein-angiopoietin-1 (COMP-Ang1) is a variant of native angiogenic factor angiopoietin-1 engineered to have higher activity. ⋯ COMP-Ang1 treatment reduced the increase in the number of Gr-1-positive neutrophils or ER-HR3-positive macrophages infiltrating kidneys, increased phosphorylation of Akt, and preserved renal tissue perfusion flow and microvascular permeability. Furthermore, COMP-Ang1 decreased renal interstitial fibrosis 30 days after the ischemia-reperfusion injury. In conclusion, COMP-Ang1 can be a possible endothelial cell-targeted therapy for preventing ischemia-reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury.
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Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. · Sep 2009
The long-term label retaining population of the renal papilla arises through divergent regional growth of the kidney.
Long-term pulse chase experiments previously identified a sizable population of BrdU-retaining cells within the renal papilla. The origin of these cells has been unclear, and in this work we test the hypothesis that they become quiescent early during the course of kidney development and organ growth. Indeed, we find that BrdU-retaining cells of the papilla can be labeled only by pulsing with BrdU from embryonic (E) day 11.25 to postnatal (P) day 7, the approximate period of kidney development in the mouse. ⋯ Indeed, by E17.5, little or no active proliferation can be seen in the distal papilla, indicating maturation of this structure in a distal-to-proximal manner during organogenesis. We conclude that BrdU-retaining cells of the papilla represent a population of cells that quiesce during embryonic development and localize within a region of the kidney that matures early. We therefore propose that selective papillary retention of BrdU arises through a combination of regionalized slowing of, and exit from, the cell cycle within the papilla during the period of ongoing kidney development, and extensive proliferative growth of the juvenile kidney resulting in dilution of BrdU below the detection level in extra-papillary regions.
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Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. · Sep 2009
Expression and phosphorylation of the Na+-Cl- cotransporter NCC in vivo is regulated by dietary salt, potassium, and SGK1.
The Na-Cl cotransporter NCC is expressed in the distal convoluted tubule, activated by phosphorylation, and has been implicated in renal NaCl and K(+) homeostasis. The serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) contributes to renal NaCl retention and K(+) excretion, at least in part, by stimulating the epithelial Na(+) channel and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in the downstream segments of aldosterone-sensitive Na(+)/K(+) exchange. In this study we confirmed in wild-type mice (WT) that dietary NaCl restriction increases renal NCC expression and its phosphorylation at Thr(53), Thr(58), and Ser(71), respectively. ⋯ In summary, changes in NaCl and K(+) intake altered NCC expression and phosphorylation, an observation consistent with a role of NCC in NaCl and K(+) homeostasis. The two maneuvers dissociated plasma aldosterone levels from NCC expression and phosphorylation, implicating additional regulators. Regulation of NCC expression and phosphorylation by dietary NaCl restriction appears to involve SGK1.