Effects of urokinase on renal interstitial fibrosis and transforming growth factor-beta1 in the kidney of rats with chronic cyclosporine A nephropathy / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of urokinase on renal interstitial fibrosis and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in the kidney of rats with chronic cyclosporine A nephropathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Sprague-Dawley rats on low-salt diet were randomly divided into control (VH), CsA-treated (CsA), CsA+2000 U/kg.day uPA (CsA+U2) and CsA+6000 U.kg.3 days (CsA+U6) groups. The rats were given CsA intragastrically for 4 weeks to prepare CsA-induced chronic nephropathy model. Masson staining was used to examine fibrin deposition. Western blotting and reversal transcription polymerase chain reaction were employed to evaluate urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and TGF-beta1 protein and gene expressions, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CsA can increase fibrin deposition and the expression of TGF-beta1 in the renal tissue, which were significantly reduced after uPA treatment (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Continuous low-dose uPA treatment can reduce renal interstitial fibrosis in rats possibly in association with its inhibitory effect on TGF-beta1 expression.</p>