Emodin ameliorates high-glucose induced mesangial p38 over-activation and hypocontractility via activation of PPARgamma

Early stage diabetic nephropathy is characterized by elevated glomerular filtration. Recent studies have identified high-glucose induced p38 MAPK (p38) over-activation in mesangial cells. Mesangial hypocontractility is the major underlying mechanism, however, no ameliorating agents are currently available. We investigated the protective effects of emodin on high-glucose induced mesangial cell hypocontractility. Mesangial cells were cultured under normal (5.6 mM) and high glucose (30 mM) conditions. Emodin was administrated at doses of 50 mg/l and 100 mg/l. Angiotension II stimulated cell surface reductions were measured to evaluate cell contractility. p38 activity was detected using Western blotting. To further explore the possible mechanism of emodin, expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) was measured and its specific inhibitor, gw9662, was administrated. Our results showed: (1) high-glucose resulted in a 280% increase in p38 activity associated with significant impairment of mesangial contractility; (2) emodin treatment dose-dependently inhibited high-glucose induced p38 over-activation (a 40% decrease for 50 mg/l emodin and a 73% decrease for 100 mg/l emodin), and mesangial hypocontractility was ameriolated by emodin; (3) both the PPARgamma mRNA and protein levels were elevated after emodin treatment; (4) inhibition of PPARgamma using gw9662 effectively blocked the ameliorating effects of emodin on high-glucose induced p38 over-activation and mesangial hypocontractility. Emodin effectively ameliorated p38 over-activation and hypocontractility in high-glucose induced mesangial cells, possibly via activation of PPARgamma.

The Protective Effects of Green Tea Extract against L-arginine Toxicity to Cultured Human Mesangial Cells

The aim of this study was to investigate whether green tea extract (GTE) has the protective effects on excess L-arginine induced toxicity in human mesangial cell. Human mesangial cells treated with L-arginine were cultured on Dulbecco's modified eagle medium in the presence and absence of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor and GTE. The cell proliferation was determined by 3 (4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2, 5-diphengltetrqzolium bromide, a tetrazole assay. The iNOS mRNA and its protein expression were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The concentration of nitric oxide (NO) was measured by NO enzyme-linced immuno sorbent assay kit. L-arginine significantly inhibited the proliferation of human mesangial cells, and induced the secretion of NO to the media. NO production by L-arginine was significantly suppressed by GTE and iNOS inhibitor (p<0.01). The expression level of iNOS mRNA and its protein that was significantly increased by L-arginine was decreased by iNOS inhibitor but not by GTE. GTE protected the mesangial cells from the NO-mediated cytotoxicity by scavenging the NO rather than by iNOS gene expression. Therefore, we conclude that GTE has some protective effect for renal cells against oxidative injury possibly by polyphenols contained in GTE.

High glucose promotes the CTGF expression in human mesangial cells via serum and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 pathway / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The role of serum and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1) pathway in the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression was investigated in cultured human mesangial cells (HMCs) under high glucose. By using RT-PCR and Western blot, the effect of SGK1 on the CTGF expression in HMCs under high glucose was examined. Overexpression of active SGK1 in HMCs transfected with pIRES2-EGFP-S422D hSGK1 (SD) could increase the expression of phosphorylated SGK1 and CTGF as compared with HMCs groups transfected with pIRES2-EGFP (FP) under high glucose or normal glucose. Overexpression of inactive SGK1 in HMCs transfected with pIRES2-EGFP-K127N hSGK1 (KN) could decrease phosphorylated SGK1 and CTGF expression as compared with HMCs groups transfected with FP under high glucose. In conclusion, these results suggest that high glucose-induced CTGF expression is mediated through the active SGK1 in HMCs.

The extracellular calcium sensing receptor is expressed in mouse mesangial cells and modulates cell proliferation

The extracellular calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) belongs to the type III family of G-protein-coupled receptors, a family that comprises the metabotropic glutamate receptor and the putative vomeronasal organ receptors. The CaSR plays an important role for calcium homeostasis in parathyroid cells, kidney cells and other cells to directly 'sense' changes in the extracellular calcium ion concentration ((Ca2+)o). The mesangial cells are known to be involved in many pathologic sequences through the mediation of altered glomerular hemodynamics, cell proliferation, and matrix production. In this study, we examined the expression of the CaSR in the mouse mesangial cell lines (MMC, ATCC number CRL-1927). Reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was perform with CaSR-specific primers, and this was followed by nucleotide sequencing of the amplified product; this process identified the CaSR transcript in the MMCs. Moreover, CaSR protein was present in the MMCs as assessed by Western blot and immunocytochemical analysis using a polyclonal antibody specific for the CaSR. Functionally, (Ca2+)o induced the increment of the intracellular calcium concentration ((Ca2+)i) in a dose-dependent manner. This (Ca2+)i increment by (Ca2+)o was attenuated by the pretreatment with a phospholipase C inhibitor (U73122) and also by a pretreatment with a CaSR antagonist (NPS 2390). The similar results were also obtained in IP3 accumulation by (Ca2+)o. To investigate the physiological effect of the CaSR, the effect of the (Ca2+)o on cell proliferation was studied. The increased (Ca2+)o (up to 10 mM) produced a significant increase in the cell numbers. This mitogenic effect of (Ca2+)o was inhibited by the co-treatment with a CaSR antagonist. From these results, the (Ca2+)o-induced (Ca2+)i elevation in the MMC is coupled with the extracellular calcium sensing receptor. Furthermore, (Ca2+)o produces a mitogenic effect in MMCs.