scholarly journals Follistatin, an Activin Antagonist, Ameliorates Renal Interstitial Fibrosis in a Rat Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akito Maeshima ◽  
Keiichiro Mishima ◽  
Shin Yamashita ◽  
Masao Nakasatomi ◽  
Masaaki Miya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rat Model ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Interstitial Fibrosis ◽  
Activin A ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Type I ◽  
Glomerular Mesangial Cells

Activin, a member of the TGF-βsuperfamily, regulates cell growth and differentiation in various cell types. Activin A acts as a negative regulator of renal development as well as tubular regeneration after renal injury. However, it remains unknown whether activin A is involved in renal fibrosis. To clarify this issue, we utilized a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The expression of activin A was significantly increased in the UUO kidneys compared to that in contralateral kidneys. Activin A was detected in glomerular mesangial cells and interstitial fibroblasts in normal kidneys. In UUO kidneys, activin A was abundantly expressed by interstitialα-SMA-positive myofibroblasts. Administration of recombinant follistatin, an activin antagonist, reduced the fibrotic area in the UUO kidneys. The number of proliferating cells in the interstitium, but not in the tubules, was significantly lower in the follistatin-treated kidneys. Expression ofα-SMA, deposition of type I collagen and fibronectin, and CD68-positive macrophage infiltration were significantly suppressed in the follistatin-treated kidneys. These data suggest that activin A produced by interstitial fibroblasts acts as a potent profibrotic factor during renal fibrosis. Blockade of activin A action may be a novel approach for the prevention of renal fibrosis progression.

scholarly journals Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Antagonizes Renal Interstitial Fibrosis by Promoting Catabolism of Type I Transforming Growth Factor-β Receptors

Endocrinology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 150 (2) ◽  
pp. 727-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Lin Yang ◽  
Yi-Shiuan Liu ◽  
Lea-Yea Chuang ◽  
Jinn-Yuh Guh ◽  
Tao-Chen Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bone Morphogenetic Protein ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Interstitial Fibrosis ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ◽  
Type I ◽  
Morphogenetic Protein ◽  
Tgf Β1

TGF-β is a therapeutic target for renal fibrosis. Scientists have long sought ways to antagonize TGF-β to ameliorate diabetic nephropathy. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2) is a member of the TGF-β superfamily and is highly regulated in the kidney. Thus, the role of BMP-2 was investigated in NRK-49F cells (rat fibroblasts). We showed that TGF-β1 induces an increase in fibronectin. Treatment with exogenous BMP-2 or pCMV-BMP-2 significantly reversed the TGF-β1-induced increase in fibronectin concomitant with a significant decrease in type I TGF-β receptors (TGF-β RI). Moreover, BMP-2 significantly shortened the half-life of TGF-β RI. These results are related to proteosomal activation because MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, abolished BMP-2-mediated degradation of TGF-β RI. This was confirmed because BMP-2 time course dependently enhanced the ubiquitination level of TGF-β RI. In addition, Smads would seem to be involved in the interaction of BMP-2 and TGF-β. We demonstrated that BMP-2 significantly reversed the TGF-β1-induced increase in pSmad2/3 and reversed the TGF-β1-induced decrease in inhibitory Smad7. Most importantly, Smad7 small interfering RNA abolished the BMP-2-induced decrease in TGF-β RI. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of BMP-2 using unilateral ureteral obstruction rats. BMP-2 was administered ip for 7 d. In the unilateral ureteral obstruction kidneys, interstitial fibrosis was prominent. However, treatment with BMP-2 dramatically reduced Masson’s trichrome staining (collagen) in the interstitial and tubular areas of the kidneys concomitantly with a reduction in TGF-β RI. These results suggest that BMP-2 acts as a novel fibrosis antagonizing cytokine partly by down-regulating TGF-β RI and Smads. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 can antagonize TGF-β-inducing cellular fibrosis by intervening post-receptors signaling, thus disclosing an application of therapeutical potential against fibrosis disorders.

scholarly journals Oleanolic Acid Attenuates Renal Fibrosis through TGF-β/Smad Pathway in a Rat Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Dapeng Zhao ◽  
Zhongqiu Luan
Keyword(s):  
Oleanolic Acid ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Smad Pathway ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Therapy ◽  
Collagen Iii ◽  
Masson Trichrome Staining

Renal fibrosis is a common final pathological process in the progression of kidney disease. Oleanolic acid is a bioactive pentacyclic triterpenoid and is widely found in medicinal herbs around the world. In this study, we explored the effect of oleanolic acid on renal fibrosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms by using a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered with oleanolic acid (6 mg/kg/d) or vehicle (olive oil) for 21 days after the UUO surgery. Upon termination, urine and blood were collected for renal function analysis, and kidneys were harvested for pathological analysis by using hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome staining. Changes of extracellular matrix mRNA expressions and TGF-β/Smad signaling in the kidneys were also determined. As a result, oleanolic acid significantly reduced the kidney index, the level of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, and the urinary level of microalbumin, α1-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase. Masson trichrome staining showed significantly less collagen deposition in the UUO rats with oleanolic acid treatment. Diminished mRNA expressions of collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, and α-SMA in the kidney tissues were observed after the treatment. Oleanolic acid led to decreased protein expressions of TGF-β, TGF-β receptor I, and TGF-β receptor II, as well as the phosphorylation of Smad2. Our current study suggested that oleanolic acid could be a complementary and alternative therapy for renal fibrosis potentially by targeting the TGF-β/Smad pathway.

scholarly journals Exogenous pancreatic kininogenase protects against renal fibrosis in rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1597-1608
Author(s):  
Ji-zhe Jin ◽  
Hui-ying Li ◽  
Jian Jin ◽  
Shang-guo Piao ◽  
Xiong-hu Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rat Model ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

scholarly journals Deletion of Akt1 Promotes Kidney Fibrosis in a Murine Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Il Young Kim ◽  
Min Young Lee ◽  
Mi Wha Park ◽  
Eun Young Seong ◽  
Dong Won Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Murine Model ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Renal Fibrosis ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Type I ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Tubular Cells ◽  
Renal Tubular Cells ◽  
Hk2 Cells

We investigated the role of Akt1, one of the three isoforms of Akt, in renal fibrosis using the murine model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). We subjected wild type and Akt1−/− mice to UUO. The Akt1 gene was silenced in vitro using short hairpin RNA delivered via a lentiviral vector in human proximal tubular cells (HK2 cells) and kidney fibroblasts (NRK-49F cells). The obstructive kidneys of Akt1−/− mice showed more severe tubulointerstitial fibrosis than those of wild type mice. The expression of fibronectin and type I collagen was significantly increased in obstructed kidneys of Akt1−/− mice compared to those of wild type mice. The important finding was that the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) was significantly increased in the Akt1−/− mice compared to the wild type mice. The knockdown of Akt1 enhanced the expression of TGFβ1 in HK2 cells. Interestingly, the upregulation of TGFβ1 due to genetic knockdown of Akt1 was associated with activation of signal transducer and activator of transcript 3 (STAT3) independently of the Smad pathway in NRK-49F and HK2 cells. Immunohistochemical staining also showed that expression of phosphorylated STAT3 was more increased in Akt1−/− mice than in wild type mice after UUO. Additionally, the deletion of Akt1 led to apoptosis of the renal tubular cells in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Conclusively, these results suggest that the deletion of Akt1 may contribute to renal fibrosis via induction of the TGFβ1/STAT3 pathway in a murine model of UUO.

scholarly journals High doses of TGF-β potently suppress type I collagen via the transcription factor CUX1

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 1836-1844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Fragiadaki ◽  
Tetsurou Ikeda ◽  
Abigail Witherden ◽  
Roger M Mason ◽  
David Abraham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Interstitial Fibrosis ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β ◽  
Negative Regulator ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Type I ◽  
Aberrant Expression

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is an inducer of type I collagen, and uncontrolled collagen production leads to tissue scarring and organ failure. Here we hypothesize that uncovering a molecular mechanism that enables us to switch off type I collagen may prove beneficial in treating fibrosis. For the first time, to our knowledge, we provide evidence that CUX1 acts as a negative regulator of TGF-β and potent inhibitor of type I collagen transcription. We show that CUX1, a CCAAT displacement protein, is associated with reduced expression of type I collagen both in vivo and in vitro. We show that enhancing the expression of CUX1 results in effective suppression of type I collagen. We demonstrate that the mechanism by which CUX1 suppresses type I collagen is through interfering with gene transcription. In addition, using an in vivo murine model of aristolochic acid (AA)-induced interstitial fibrosis and human AA nephropathy, we observe that CUX1 expression was significantly reduced in fibrotic tissue when compared to control samples. Moreover, silencing of CUX1 in fibroblasts from kidneys of patients with renal fibrosis resulted in increased type I collagen expression. Furthermore, the abnormal CUX1 expression was restored by addition of TGF-β via the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Collectively, our study demonstrates that modifications of CUX1 expression lead to aberrant expression of type I collagen, which may provide a molecular basis for fibrogenesis.

scholarly journals HuangQi Decoction Ameliorates Renal Fibrosis via TGF-β/Smad Signaling Pathway In Vivo and In Vitro

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1761-1774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhao ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Ai-li Cao ◽  
Ming-Qian Jiang ◽  
Xia Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Interstitial Fibrosis ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Type I ◽  
Renal Interstitial Fibrosis ◽  
Smad Signaling ◽  
Smad Signaling Pathway ◽  
Tgf Β1

Objective: Traditional Chinese Medicine compound HuangQi decoction is widely used in clinical treatment of chronic kidney disease, but its role on renal interstitial fibrosis and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of HuangQi decoction on renal interstitial fibrosis and its association with the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway Methods: A total of 120 C57/BL mice were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, sham plus high-dose HuangQi decoction (1.08g/kg) group, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model group, and UUO model plus low to high doses of HuangQi decoction (0.12g/kg, 0.36g/kg and 1.08g/kg respectively) groups. Animals were sacrificed 14 days after the administration and ipsilateral kidney tissue was sampled for pathologic examinations. Immunohistochemistry, PCR and western blot were used to detect the expressions of related molecules in the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. TGF-β1 was used in in vitro experiments to induce human kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells (HK2). Results: HuangQi decoction improved ipsilateral kidney fibrosis in UUO mice and downregulated the expressions of TGF-β1, TβRI, TβRII, Smad4, Smad2/3, P-Smad2/3, α-SMA, collagen type I, III and IV in a dose-dependent manner while upregulated the expression of Smad7 in the same fashion. Similar results were found in in vitro studies. Conclusion: The protective effect of HuangQi decoction for unilateral ureteral obstruction kidney damage in mice was mediated by downregulating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

scholarly journals Role of the high-affinity leukotriene B4 receptor signaling in fibrosis after unilateral ureteral obstruction in mice

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko Kamata ◽  
Hideki Amano ◽  
Yoshiya Ito ◽  
Tomoe Fujita ◽  
Kanako Hosono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Type I Collagen ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction ◽  
Type I ◽  
Renal Tubules ◽  
Kidney Fibrosis ◽  
High Affinity

AbstractLeukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a lipid mediator that acts as a potent chemoattractant for inflammatory leukocytes. Kidney fibrosis is caused by migrating inflammatory cells and kidney-resident cells. Here, we examined the role of the high-affinity LTB4 receptor BLT1 during development of kidney fibrosis in wild-type (WT) mice and BLT1 knockout (BLT1-/-) mice with unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). We found elevated expression of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), which generates LTB4, in the renal tubules of WT and BLT1-/- UUO mice. Accumulation of immunoreactive type I collagen in UUO kidneys of WT mice increased over time; however, the increase was less prominent in BLT1-/- mice. Accumulation of S100A4-positive fibroblasts also increased temporally in WT UUO kidneys, but was again less pronounced in those of BLT1-/- mice. The same was true of mRNA encoding transforming growth factor-β (TGF)-β and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2. Finally, accumulation of F4/80-positive macrophages, which secrete TGF-β, also increased temporally in WT UUO and BLT1-/- kidneys, but to a lesser extent in the latter. Following LTB4 stimulation in vitro, macrophages showed increased expression of mRNA encoding TGF-β/FGF-2 and Col1a1, whereas L929 fibroblasts showed increased expression of mRNA encoding α smooth muscle actin (SMA). Bone marrow (BM) transplantation studies revealed that the area positive for type I collagen was significantly smaller in BLT1-/--BM→WT UUO kidneys than in WT-BM→WT kidneys. Thus, LTB4-BLT1 signaling plays a critical role in fibrosis in UUO kidneys by increasing accumulation of macrophages and fibroblasts. Therefore, blocking BLT1 may prevent renal fibrosis.

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