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

These studies examined the interactions of neutral endopeptidase (NEP), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and nitric oxide (NO) in deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-induced hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 35) were uninephrectomized (UNx) or uninephrectomized and treated with DOCA (25 mg pellet implanted subcutaneously). Candoxatril (30 mg/kg day(-1)), a NEP inhibitor, was given orally for 3 weeks in UNx or DOCA rats. Sham nephrectomized rats (SHAM) served as controls. Except SHAM, all other groups received 1% NaCl in drinking water ad libitum. Measurements were taken of systolic blood pressure (SBP), left ventricle (LV), and aortic weight (AW), plasma ET-1, and urinary excretion of nitrite and Na+. Whole body vascular hypertrophy and morphometric analysis of histological sections of the heart were also determined. In DOCA rats, SBP increased from 113 +/- 5 to 170 +/- 5 mmHg without significant changes in body weight (BW). Candoxatril reduced the increase in SBP to 135 +/- 9 mmHg (P < 0.05), abolished the increased LV wall thickness (P < 0.05), and increased the reduced LV lumen diameter (P < 0.05) in DOCA-salt rats. Candoxatril also reduced plasma ET-1 by 88 +/- 9% and 89 +/- 17% (P < 0.05) in UNx and DOCA rats, respectively, and elicited increases in urinary excretion of nitrite. These effects were accompanied by a marked increase in urinary excretion of Na+ (U(Na)V) (P < 0.05) and a blunting of the proteinuria (32 +/- 5%; P < 0.05) in DOCA rats. We conclude that endopeptidase inhibition in DOCA-salt hypertension reduced the increase in blood pressure and the attendant tissue hypertrophy and renal injury. These effects suggest a correlation between endopeptidase-related reduction in ET-1 production and protection in DOCA-salt hypertension.
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PMID:Chronic endopeptidase inhibition in DOCA-salt hypertension: mechanism of cardiovascular protection. 1294 Apr 71

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthases causes systemic hypertension and renal injury in rats. Our objective was to examine whether omapatrilat, a vasopeptidase inhibitor that inhibits both angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase, could induce better regression of renal injury than ACE inhibitor alone. Ten groups of rats were studied. They were fed either a normal (0.8% NaCl) or a high (4% NaCl) sodium diet. Eight of these groups received NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) in their drinking water. After 4 weeks, 1 group on each diet was killed and considered the L-NAME group, whereas the others received L-NAME alone, captopril (200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) plus L-NAME, or omapatrilat (80 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) plus L-NAME for 4 additional weeks. In rats receiving L-NAME alone for 8 weeks, the mortality rate was approximately 90%, irrespective of the diet. In contrast, all rats survived in the captopril and the omapatrilat groups. In rats fed a normal-sodium diet, captopril and omapatrilat normalized systolic blood pressure and induced a complete regression of renal injury. Creatinine clearance and proteinuria were also normalized. In the high-sodium-diet groups, both treatments were less efficient: blood pressure remained elevated, and the regression of renal fibrosis was only partial. Although proteinuria decreased significantly with captopril or omapatrilat, creatinine clearance remained lower than in the controls. These results demonstrate that, in nitric oxide-deficient rats fed a normal-sodium diet, ACE and vasopeptidase inhibitors exhibit a marked renoprotective effect, whereas these treatments are less efficient in rats fed a high-sodium diet.
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PMID:Renal effects of omapatrilat and captopril in salt-loaded, nitric oxide-deficient rats. 1456 1

1. Vasopeptidase inhibition (i.e., the simultaneous inhibition of both angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and neutral endopeptidase) can ameliorate diabetic nephropathy. We investigated whether this nephroprotection is mediated by the bradykinin B2 receptor. 2. In all, 43 obese Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF/Gmi-fa/fa) rats aged 21 weeks were separated into four groups and treated for 26 weeks with either placebo, the bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist icatibant (500 microg kg(-1) day(-1) s.c. infusion), the vasopeptidase inhibitor AVE7688 (45 mg kg(-1) day(-1) in chow), or AVE7688 plus icatibant. Nephropathy was assessed as albuminuria at age 31 and 39 weeks, and by histopathologic scoring at the end of the treatment period. 3. All animals had established diabetes mellitus (blood glucose >20 mmol l(-1)) and marked albuminuria at baseline. Blood glucose was not influenced by any treatment. Icatibant alone did not influence albuminuria (8.6+/-1.6 vs placebo 9.5+/-1.3 mg kg(-1) h(-1)). AVE7688 reduced albuminuria at week 31 markedly to 1.1+/-0.1 mg kg(-1) h(-1) and reduced glomerular and tubulo-interstitial kidney damage at week 47. In the AVE7688 plus icatibant group, proteinuria was significantly higher than in the AVE7688 only group (2.0+/-0.6 mg kg(-1) h(-1)), but still reduced compared to placebo. In addition, icatibant partly antagonized the tubulo-interstitial protection mediated by AVE7688. 4. We conclude that vasopeptidase inhibition provides nephroprotection in rats with type II diabetic nephropathy, which is partly mediated by bradykinin B2 receptor activation.
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PMID:Nephroprotection in Zucker diabetic fatty rats by vasopeptidase inhibition is partly bradykinin B2 receptor dependent. 1528 89

Membranous nephropathy (MN), the most common cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in white adults, is characterized by an accumulation of immune deposits on the outer aspect of the glomerular basement membrane. In Heymann nephritis, the rat experimental model for MN, megalin--the target antigen of the nephritogenic antibodies--is expressed on the surface of podocytes, where immune complexes are formed, leading to complement activation and nephrotic-range proteinuria. However, megalin cannot be held responsible for human MN because it has not been found in human podocytes or detected in subepithelial immune deposits in patients with MN. Several potential antigens have been identified in so-called secondary forms of MN, but there is no real proof that these antigens are pathogenic. In a subgroup of infants with antenatal MN, neutral endopeptidase (NEP) has been identified as the first protein target on human podocytes of nephritogenic antibodies. The infants' mothers became immunized during pregnancy against NEP expressed on syncytiotrophoblastic cells because they were NEP deficient as a result of truncating mutations in the MME gene. Severity of neonatal renal disease was determined by the mothers' IgG response that led to the formation of the membrane attack complex of complement in the subepithelial deposits. Alloimmunization against NEP is a novel pathomechanism of MN that might also account for some cases of MN after renal or bone marrow transplantation. Other types of alloimmunization should be investigated in MN but also in other renal and nonrenal diseases, particularly those that affect the pediatric age.
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PMID:Molecular pathomechanisms of membranous nephropathy: from Heymann nephritis to alloimmunization. 1580 Jan 20

Recent results indicate that intrinsic glomerular cells (podocytes, mesangial and endothelial cells) are active participants in the inflammatory process in the glomerulus. Particular attention is drawn to podocyte injury in glomerulonephritis. Podocytes are end-differentiated cells which have lost their proliferation abilities and can only compensate by hypertrophy. The inability to proliferate is the cost which a podocyte must pay for the development of highly specialized structures and ability to adhere to the glomerular basement membrane. Collapsing focal-segmental glomerulosclerosis is a condition in which podocytes proliferate, but this process is associated with loss of their maturity markers as well as with abnormalities in the expressions of cell cycle proteins. Dysfunction of slit diaphragms is an important element in the pathogenesis of glomerulopathies with marked proteinuria. Recent studies also underline the importance of neprilysin in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis. This is the first podocytic antigen which has been shown to induce human membranous glomerulonephritis.
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PMID:[The role of podocytes in normal glomerular function and in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis. Part II. Phenotypic and functional changes of podocytes in glomerulonephritis]. 1670 25

Recently, it was shown that myocardial infarction aggravates preexistent mild renal damage that is elicited by unilateral nephrectomy in rats. The mechanism behind this cardiorenal interaction likely involves the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system and/or vasoactive peptides that are metabolized by neutral endopeptidase (NEP). The renoprotective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition (ACEi) as well as combined ACE/NEP inhibition with a vasopeptidase inhibitor (VPI) was investigated in the same model to clarify the underlying mechanism. At week 17 after sequential induction of unilateral nephrectomy and myocardial infarction, treatment with lisinopril (ACEi), AVE7688 (VPI), or vehicle was initiated for 6 wk. Proteinuria and systolic BP (SBP) were evaluated weekly. Renal damage was assessed primarily by proteinuria, interstitial alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) staining, and the incidence of focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS). At start of treatment, proteinuria had increased progressively to 167 +/- 20 mg/d in the entire cohort (n = 42). Both ACEi and VPI provided a similar reduction in proteinuria, alpha-SMA, and FGS compared with vehicle at week 23 (proteinuria 76 +/- 6 versus 77 +/- 4%; alpha-SMA 60 +/- 6 versus 77 +/- 3%; FGS 52 +/- 14 versus 61 +/- 10%). Similar reductions in systolic BP were observed in both ACEi- and VPI-treated groups (33 +/- 3 and 37 +/- 2%, respectively). Compared with ACEi, VPI-treated rats displayed a significantly larger reduction of plasma (41 +/- 5 versus 61 +/- 4%) and renal (53 +/- 6 versus 74 +/- 4%) ACE activity. It is concluded that both ACEi and VPI intervention prevent renal damage in a rat model of cardiorenal interaction. VPI treatment seemed to provide no additional renoprotection compared with sole ACEi after 6 wk of treatment in this model, despite a more pronounced ACE-inhibiting effect of VPI.
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PMID:Renal damage after myocardial infarction is prevented by renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system intervention. 1700 35

Despite progress in recent years in the prevention, detection, and treatment of high blood pressure (BP), hypertension remains an important public health challenge. Hypertension affects approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. High BP is associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity from stroke, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and end-stage renal disease; it also has a negative impact on the quality of life. Hypertension cannot be eliminated because there are no vaccines to prevent the development of hypertension, but, its incidence can be decreased by reducing the risk factors for its development, which include obesity, high dietary intake of fat and sodium and low intake of potassium, physical inactivity, smoking, and excessive alcohol intake. For established hypertension, efforts are to be directed to control BP by lifestyle modification (LSM). However, if BP cannot be adequately controlled with LSM, then pharmacotherapy can be instituted along with LSM. Normalization of BP reduces cardiovascular risk (for cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest), provides renoprotection (prevention of the onset or slowing of proteinuria and progression of renal dysfunction to end-stage renal disease in patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, and chronic renal disease), and decreases the risk of cerebrovascular events (stroke and cognition impairment), as has been amply demonstrated by a large number of randomized clinical trials. In spite of the availability of more than 75 antihypertensive agents in 9 classes, BP control in the general population is at best inadequate. Therefore, antihypertensive therapy in the future or near future should be directed toward improving BP control in treated hypertensive patients with the available drugs by using the right combinations at optimum doses, individually tailored gene-polymorphism directed therapy, or development of new modalities such as gene therapy and vaccines. Several studies have shown that BP can be reduced by lifestyle/behavior modification. Although, the reductions appear to be trivial, even small reductions in systolic BP (for example, 3-5 mm Hg) produce dramatic reduction in adverse cardiac events and stroke. On the basis of the results of clinical and clinical/observational studies, it has been recommended that more emphasis be placed on lifestyle/behavior modification (obesity, high dietary intake of fat and sodium, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, low dietary potassium intake) to control BP and also to improve the efficacy of pharmacologic treatment of high BP. New classes of antihypertensive drugs and new compounds in the established drug classes are likely to widen the armamentarium available to combat hypertension. These include the aldosterone receptor blockers, vasodilator beta-blockers, renin inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists, and dual endopeptidase inhibitors. The use of fixed-dose combination drug therapy is likely to increase. There is a conceptual possibility that gene therapy may yield long-lasting antihypertensive effects by influencing the genes associated with hypertension. But, the treatment of human essential hypertension requires sustained over-expression of genes. Some of the challenging tasks for successful gene therapy that need to be mastered include identification of target genes, ideal gene transfer vector, precise delivery of genes into the required site (target), efficient transfer of genes into the cells of the target, and prompt assessment of gene expression over time. Targeting the RAS by antisense gene therapy appears to be a viable strategy for the long-term control of hypertension. Several problems that are encountered in the delivery of gene therapy include 1) low efficiency for gene transfer into vascular cells; 2) a lack of selectivity; 3) problem in determining how to prolong and control transgene expression or antisense inhibition; and 4) difficulty in minimizing the adverse effects of viral or nonviral vectors. In spite of the hurdles that face gene therapy administration in humans, studies in animals indicate that gene therapy may be feasible in treating human hypertension, albeit not in the near future. DNA testing for genetic polymorphism and determining the genotype of a patient may predict response to a certain class of antihypertensive agent and thus optimize therapy in individual patients. In this regard, there are some studies that report the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapy based upon the genotype of selected patients. Treatment of human hypertension with vaccines is feasible but is not likely to be available in the near future.
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PMID:The future of antihypertensive treatment. 1741 79

Membranous nephropathy, a disease characterized by an accumulation of immune deposits on the outer aspect of the glomerular basement membrane, is the most common cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in white adults. In the rat model of Heymann nephritis, the target antigen of antibodies is megalin, a multiligand receptor expressed at the podocyte cell surface. This review summarizes key findings provided by this experimental model and by our discovery of neutral endopeptidase being the alloantigen involved in neonatal cases of membranous nephropathy. We discuss the role of alloimmunization as a new mechanism of renal disease and the approach that we use to identify new podocyte antigens. We also summarize current knowledge on the mechanism of proteinuria, with special emphasis on the role of complement. In conclusion, substantial progresses have been made in understanding molecular mechanisms of membranous nephropathy, which should lead to novel therapeutic approaches.
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PMID:Target antigens and nephritogenic antibodies in membranous nephropathy: of rats and men. 1789 86

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the most common glomerulopathies. Current treatments are entirely empirical, and concept-driven therapies are dramatically lacking. In the rat experimental model established by Heymann in 1959, the target antigen is expressed at the surface of podocytes where immune complexes are formed, inducing complement activation results in heavy proteinuria. However, megalin is not detected on human podocytes and in immune deposits in patients with MN. We recently identified neutral endopeptidase (NEP), a podocyte antigen that can digest biologically active peptides, as the target antigen of antibodies deposited in the subepithelial space of glomeruli in a subset of patients with antenatal MN. The mothers became immunized because they are deficient in NEP due to truncating mutations in the gene. MN could be transferred to the rabbit by injection of mothers' Ig. We discuss new pathophysiological aspects of the disease with special emphasis on allo-immunization, novel potential antigenic targets, and therapeutic prospects.
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PMID:[Extra-membranous glomerulonephritis: from the experimental model to the human pathology of new-born and adult]. 1902 6

Membranous nephropathy, a disease characterized by an accumulation of immune deposits on the outer aspect of the glomerular basement membrane, is the most common cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in Caucasian adults. In the rat model described by Heymann in 1959, the target antigen of antibodies is megalin, a multiligand receptor expressed in the rat glomerulus but absent from the human glomerulus. In the past few years, two major antigens have been identified in human membranous nephropathy. The first is neutral endopeptidase, the alloantigen involved in neonatal cases of membranous nephropathy that occur in newborns from neutral endopeptidase-deficient mothers. The second is the type-M phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA(2)R), the first autoantigen identified in idiopathic membranous nephropathy in the adult. Megalin, neutral endopeptidase, and PLA(2)R are all expressed on the podocyte surface where they serve as targets for circulating antibodies, which lead to in situ immune complex formation, complement activation, and proteinuria. The recent discovery of neutral endopeptidase and PLA(2)R provides new tools for monitoring human disease activity and should be of value in designing new antigen-driven therapeutic strategies.
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PMID:Antigen identification in membranous nephropathy moves toward targeted monitoring and new therapy. 2018 38


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