The effects of high glucose concentration on angiotensin II- or transforming growth factor-beta-induced DNA synthesis, hypertrophy and collagen synthesis in cultured rat mesangial cells

ABSTRACT

Hyperglycemia is a principal characteristic of diabetes, and has an influence on many cellular functions. In order to investigate whether the intracellular signaling pathways inducing proliferation, hypertrophy and matrix synthesis of mesangial cells are altered in a diabetic environment, we evaluated the effects of a high concentration of extracellular glucose(25 mM; 450 mg/dl) on [3H]thymidine uptake, hypertrophy, and [3H]proline incorporation into a collagenase-sensitive protein, induced by angiotensin II(Ang II) or transforming growth factor(TGF)-beta, in cultured rat mesangial cells. The exposure to a high glucose concentration for 7 days significantly inhibited Ang II(10(-6) M)-induced [3H]thymidine uptake, compared to normal glucose concentration (5 mM)(M +/- SD., 1050 +/- 100 cpm/well vs 550 +/- 97, p 0.05). In conclusion, although the signaling pathway for DNA synthesis by Ang II or TGF-beta are influenced, possibly mediated by PKC-independent mechanism(s), the pathway inducing hypertrophy or collagen synthesis by both agents appears to be unchanged under the high extracellular glucose concentration in cultured rat mesangial cells.