Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0033687 (proteinuria)
 24,015 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed for renal diseases. It is believed that glucocorticoids attenuate immune-mediated renal diseases by suppressing the cell-mediated immune system. However, there is evidence that glucocorticoids influence the expression of such growth factors as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), which are known to influence the development or progression of renal diseases. Therefore, we undertook this study to determine whether glucocorticoids regulate proteinuria or extracellular matrix (ECM) production by altering these growth factors. Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis was induced in rats by intravenous injection of monoclonal antibody (OX-7), and dexamethasone (20 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally from the third to seventh disease day. Glomerular expression of VEGF, TGF-beta1, and CTGF, the amount of urinary protein, and glomerular ECM were measured on the seventh disease day. The nephritic group showed proteinuria and greater VEGF, TGF-beta1, and ECM production. Dexamethasone aggravated proteinuria (protein, 0.4 +/- 0.1 mg/mg creatinine in the NC group, 6.3 +/- 2.0 mg/mg creatinine in the DC group, and 21.1 +/- 1.9 mg/mg creatinine in the D-Dex group; P < 0.05) and diminished VEGF release (22 +/- 3 pg/mg total protein in the NC group, 292 +/- 26 pg/mg total protein in the DC group, and 198 +/- 23 pg/mg total protein in the D-Dex group; P < 0.05). Expression of TGF-beta1, CTGF, and ECM was not altered significantly by dexamethasone treatment. We found that glucocorticoid diminishes VEGF release and at the same time exacerbates proteinuria in rats with this type of glomerulonephritis.
 ...
PMID:Glucocorticoid diminishes vascular endothelial growth factor and exacerbates proteinuria in rats with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. 1197 43

Previous studies have reported that pentoxifylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, attenuates experimental mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. This study hypothesized that pentoxifylline could also attenuate the renal disease progression in rats with remnant kidney. After 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy, rats developed progressively elevated proteinuria and plasma creatinine, glomerulosclerosis, interstitial inflammation, and fibrosis, all of which were attenuated by 40 to 60% by pentoxifylline. However, the elevated BP was not changed by pentoxifylline. Pentoxifylline reduced the upregulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 gene by 60% in the cortex of remnant kidney, as well as in a dose-dependent manner in the albumin- or angiotensin II-stimulated proximal tubular cells. It also reduced the upregulation of mitogenic and profibrogenic genes by 50%, including platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor-2, transforming growth factor-beta(1), connective tissue growth factor, and types I and III collagen in the cortex of remnant kidney. Furthermore, pentoxifylline was found to decrease the numbers of interstitial myofibroblasts by 60% in the cortex of remnant kidney and suppress the proliferation of cultured interstitial fibroblasts. It also reduced the angiotensin II-induced or transforming growth factor-beta(1)-induced expression of connective tissue growth factor gene in cultured fibroblasts and mesangial cells. Combining pentoxifylline with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, cilazapril, almost completely attenuated the renal disease progression in rats with remnant kidney. In conclusion, pentoxifylline alone can attenuate the chronic renal disease progression. Its combination with cilazapril has the potential to prevent the renal disease progression almost completely.
 ...
PMID:Pentoxifylline attenuated the renal disease progression in rats with remnant kidney. 1244 23

Complement receptor 1-related gene/protein y (Crry) in rodents is a potent membrane complement regulator that inhibits complement C3 activation by both classical and alternative pathways. Complement inhibition with Crry as the recombinant protein Crry-Ig has been demonstrated to prevent MRL/MpJ-Tnfrsf6(lpr) (MRL/lpr) mice from developing proteinuria and renal failure. Crry-Ig-treated mice also showed less glomerulosclerosis compared with control MRL/lpr mice. To clarify how complement inhibition with Crry might affect renal scarring in lupus nephritis, gene transcript profiling was performed comparing Crry-Ig-treated MRL/lpr mice to control-treated MRL/lpr mice as well as to the MRL/+ strain control. Altered gene expression was confirmed by quantitative PCR, and protein quantity with either immunoblotting or immunofluorescence microscopy. Collagens I, III, IV, and VI were overexpressed in control MRL/lpr mice, whereas complement inhibition with Crry reduced the overexpression of these extracellular matrix components toward normal. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, connective tissue growth factor, and TGF-beta1 were upregulated in MRL/lpr mice compared with MRL/+ mice and were normalized by Crry-Ig treatment, suggesting that the product of these genes may contribute to the progressive glomerulosclerosis in MRL/lpr mice in a complement-dependent fashion. Thus, complement inhibition with Crry has a prominent effect on matrix-related genes and proteins, which translates into improvement in functional renal disease.
 ...
PMID:Excessive matrix accumulation in the kidneys of MRL/lpr lupus mice is dependent on complement activation. 1451 29

Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBP) are major regulators of fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. This study found that age-related renal matrix deposition and proteinuria were associated with increased renal expression of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 and increased renal accumulation of triglyceride and cholesterol. Because calorie restriction (CR) modulates age-related renal disease, it then was determined whether the effects of CR are mediated partially by modulation of renal lipid metabolism. Compared with ad libitum (AL)-fed 24-month-old (24 m) F344BN rats, CR resulted in significant decreases in extracellular matrix accumulation (periodic acid-Schiff staining and immunofluorescence of type IV collagen and fibronectin) and proteinuria. A significant decrease was also observed in the renal expression of growth factors (connective tissue growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor) and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1). These structural and functional changes were associated with significant decreases in renal nuclear SREBP-1 (5.2 in 24 m AL versus 3.3 densitometry units in 24 m CR; P < 0.01) and SREBP-2 (7.1 in 24 m AL versus 4.1 densitometry units in 24 m CR; P < 0.01) protein abundance and renal triglyceride and cholesterol contents. It is interesting that serum leptin level was significantly increased as a function of aging, and CR resulted in significant reduction in serum leptin level. Because it was shown previously that increased renal expression of SREBP-1a per se caused renal lipid accumulation, glomerulosclerosis, and proteinuria, the results suggest that CR modulates age-related renal disease in part by modulation of renal SREBP expression and renal lipid accumulation.
 ...
PMID:Calorie restriction modulates renal expression of sterol regulatory element binding proteins, lipid accumulation, and age-related renal disease. 1594 39

Diabetic nephropathy is a major complication of diabetes and a leading cause of end-stage renal diseases in the U.S. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a potent angiogenic inhibitor that has been extensively studied in diabetic retinopathy. Recently, we reported that PEDF is expressed at high levels in normal kidneys and that PEDF levels are decreased in kidneys of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In the present study, we injected STZ-diabetic rats with an adenovirus expressing PEDF (Ad-PEDF) to evaluate its effects in diabetes. The results showed that increased expression of PEDF in the kidney in response to Ad-PEDF delivery significantly alleviated microalbuminuria in early stages of diabetes. Administration of Ad-PEDF was found to prevent the overexpression of two major fibrogenic factors, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)1 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and to significantly reduce the production of an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein in the diabetic kidney. Moreover, PEDF upregulated metalloproteinase-2 expression in diabetic kidney, which is responsible for ECM degradation. In cultured human mesangial cells, PEDF significantly inhibited the overexpression of TGF-beta1 and fibronectin induced by angiotensin II. PEDF also blocked the fibronectin production induced by TGF-beta1 through inhibition of Smad3 activation. These findings suggest that PEDF functions as an endogenous anti-TGF-beta and antifibrogenic factor in the kidney. A therapeutic potential of PEDF in diabetic nephropathy is supported by its downregulation in diabetes; its prevention of the overexpression of TGF-beta, CTGF, and ECM proteins in diabetic kidney; and its amelioration of proteinuria in diabetic rats following Ad-PEDF injection.
 ...
PMID:Salutary effect of pigment epithelium-derived factor in diabetic nephropathy: evidence for antifibrogenic activities. 1673 30

Recent studies have suggested that aldosterone plays a role in the pathogenesis of renal injury. In this study, we investigated whether local angiotensin II (Ang II) activity contributes to the progression of renal injury in aldosterone/salt-induced hypertensive rats. Uninephrectomized rats were treated with 1% NaCl in a drinking solution and one of the following combinations for 6 weeks: vehicle (2% ethanol, s.c.; n=9), aldosterone (0.75 mug/h, s.c.; n=8), aldosterone+Ang II type 1 receptor blocker olmesartan (10 mg/kg/day, p.o.; n=8), or aldosterone+olmesartan (100 mg/kg/day, p.o.; n=9). Aldosterone/salt-treated hypertensive rats exhibited severe proteinuria and renal injury characterized by glomerular sclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Aldosterone/salt-induced renal injury was associated with augmented expression of angiotensin converting enzyme and Ang II levels in the renal cortex and medullary tissues. Renal cortical and medullary mRNA expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) as well as the collagen contents were increased in aldosterone/salt-treated hypertensive rats. Treatment with olmesartan (10 or 100 mg/kg/day) had no effect on blood pressure but attenuated proteinuria in a dose-dependent manner. Olmesartan at 10 mg/kg/day tended to decrease renal cortical and medullary Ang II levels, TGF-beta and CTGF expression, and collagen contents; however, these changes were not significant. On the other hand, an ultrahigh dose of olmesartan (100 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased these values and ameliorated renal injury. These data suggest that augmented local Ang II activity contributes, at least partially, to the progression of aldosterone/salt-dependent renal injury.
 ...
PMID:Augmentation of intrarenal angiotensin II levels in uninephrectomized aldosterone/salt-treated hypertensive rats; renoprotective effects of an ultrahigh dose of olmesartan. 1675 52

A heterozygous mutation in autosomal Alport genes COL4A3 and COL4A4 can be found in 20 to 50% of individuals with familial benign hematuria and diffuse glomerular basement membrane thinning (thin basement membrane nephropathy [TBMN]). Approximately 1% of humans are heterozygous carriers of mutations in the autosomal Alport genes and at risk for developing renal failure as a result of TBMN. The incidence and pathogenesis of renal failure in heterozygous COL4A3/4 mutation carriers is still unclear and was examined further in this study using COL4A3 knockout mice. In heterozygous COL4A3(+/-) mice lifespan, hematuria and renal function (serum urea and proteinuria) were monitored during a period of 3 yr, and renal tissue was examined by light and electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. Lifespan of COL4A3(+/-) mice was found to be significantly shorter than in healthy controls (21.7 versus 30.3 mo). Persistent glomerular hematuria was detected starting in week 9; proteinuria of > 0.1 g/L started after 3 mo of life and increased to > 3 g/L after 24 mo. The glomerular basement membrane was significantly thinned (167 versus 200 nm in wild type) in 30-wk-old mice, coinciding with focal glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and increased levels of TGF-beta and connective tissue growth factor. The renal phenotype in COL4A3(+/-) mice resembled the clinical and histopathologic phenotype of human cases of TBMN with concomitant progression to chronic renal failure. Therefore, the COL4A3(+/-) mouse model will help in the understanding of the pathogenesis of TBMN in humans and in the evaluation of potential therapies.
 ...
PMID:Chronic renal failure and shortened lifespan in COL4A3+/- mice: an animal model for thin basement membrane nephropathy. 1677 36

Recent studies have suggested a role for aldosterone in the pathogenesis of renal injury. This study investigated the potential contributions of Rho-kinase and TGF-beta pathways to aldosterone-induced renal injury. Rats were uninephrectomized and then treated for 5 wk with 1% NaCl in a drinking solution and one of the following: Vehicle (2% ethanol, subcutaneously; n = 9); aldosterone (0.75 microg/h, subcutaneously; n = 9); or aldosterone + fasudil, a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor (10 mg/kg per d, subcutaneously; n = 8). Phosphorylation of myosin phosphate target subunit-1 (MYPT1) and Smad2/3 in renal cortical tissue was measured by Western blotting with anti-phospho MYPT1 and Smad2/3 antibodies, respectively. Rats that received aldosterone infusion exhibited hypertension and severe renal injury characterized by proteinuria, glomerular sclerosis, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis with increases in alpha-smooth muscle actin staining and numbers of monocytes/macrophages in the interstitium. Renal cortical mRNA levels of types I and III collagen, TGF-beta, connective tissue growth factor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 as well as Smad2/3 phosphorylation were significantly increased in rats that received aldosterone infusion. All of these changes were associated with an increase in renal tissue MYPT1 phosphorylation. Treatment with fasudil did not alter BP but significantly ameliorated proteinuria and renal injury in rats that received aldosterone infusion. Furthermore, fasudil prevented MYPT1 phosphorylation and markedly decreased alpha-smooth muscle actin staining, numbers of monocytes/macrophages, mRNA levels of types I and III collagen, TGF-beta, connective tissue growth factor and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and Smad2/3 activity in renal cortical tissues. These results provide evidence, for the first time, that Rho-kinase is substantially involved in aldosterone-induced renal injury through activation of a TGF-beta-dependent pathway.
 ...
PMID:Involvements of Rho-kinase and TGF-beta pathways in aldosterone-induced renal injury. 1679 May 7

Diabetes induces the activation of several protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in the renal glomeruli. We used PKC-beta(-/-) mice to examine the action of PKC-beta isoforms in diabetes-induced oxidative stress and renal injury at 8 and 24 weeks of disease. Diabetes increased PKC activity in renal cortex of wild-type mice and was significantly reduced (<50% of wild-type) in diabetic PKC-beta(-/-) mice. In wild-type mice, diabetes increased the translocation of PKC-alpha and -beta1 to the membrane, whereas only PKC-alpha was elevated in PKC-beta(-/-) mice. Increases in urinary isoprostane and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, parameters of oxidative stress, in diabetic PKC-beta(-/-) mice were significantly reduced compared with diabetic wild-type mice. Diabetes increased NADPH oxidase activity and the expressions of p47(phox), Nox2, and Nox4 mRNA levels in the renal cortex and were unchanged in diabetic PKC-beta(-/-) mice. Increased expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and collagens IV and VI found in diabetic wild-type mice was attenuated in diabetic PKC-beta(-/-) mice. Diabetic PKC-beta(-/-) mice were protected from renal hypertrophy, glomerular enlargement, and hyperfiltration observed in diabetic wild-type mice and had less proteinuria. Lack of PKC-beta can protect against diabetes-induced renal dysfunction, fibrosis, and increased expressions of Nox2 and -4, ET-1, VEGF, TGF-beta, CTGF, and oxidant production.
 ...
PMID:Reduction of diabetes-induced oxidative stress, fibrotic cytokine expression, and renal dysfunction in protein kinase Cbeta-null mice. 1706 50

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), the most common cause of end stage renal disease in developed nations, is thought to result from interactions between metabolic and haemodynamic factors. Specific metabolically driven, glucose dependent pathways are activated within diabetic renal tissues. These pathways induce oxidative stress, polyol pathway flux, hexosamine flux and accumulation of advanced glycated end-products (AGEs). Haemodynamic factors are also implicated in the pathogenesis of DN and include elevations of systemic and intraglomerular pressure and activation of various vasoactive hormone pathways including the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS), endothelin and urotensin. These altered hemodynamics act independently and in concert with metabolic pathways, to activate intracellular second messengers such as protein kinase C (PKC) and MAP kinase (MAPK), nuclear transcription factors such as nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and various growth factors such as the prosclerotic cytokines, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and the angiogenic, permeability enhancing growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF. Ultimately these molecular mechanisms lead to increased renal albumin permeability, and extracellular matrix accumulation, which results in increasing proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. In the past, the treatment of diabetic nephropathy has focused on control of hyperglycemia and the interruption of the RAAS with certain anti-hypertensive agents. Newer novel targets, some of which are linked to glucose dependent pathways, appear to be a major focus of new therapies directed against the development and progression of renal damage as a result of diabetes. It is likely that resolution of diabetic nephropathy will require synergistic therapies to target multiple mediators of this disease.
 ...
PMID:Diabetic nephropathy: where hemodynamics meets metabolism. 1731 65


1 2 3 Next >>