Apoptosis occurs differentially according to glomerular size in diabetic kidney disease

Dong Sub Jung, Sun Ha Lee, Seung Jae Kwak, Jin Ji Li, Do Hee Kim, Bo Young Nam, Hye Young Kang, Tae Ik Chang, Jung Tak Park, Seung Hyeok Han, Tae Hyun Yoo, Shin Wook Kang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background.Apoptosis, which is involved in the process of mesangial cell and podocyte loss in diabetic nephropathy, is known to be regulated by protein kinase B/Akt (Akt). A number of studies have therefore investigated the activity of Akt under diabetic conditions, but the results have not been consistent. In this study, we hypothesized that apoptosis may occur differentially and that Akt may be differentially activated according to glomerular size in diabetic kidney disease. Methods.Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally with diluent (C, n = 25) or streptozotocin (DM, n = 25). After 3 months, glomeruli were isolated using sieves with pore sizes of 250, 150, 125 and 75 μm and then classified into large glomeruli (on the 125-μm sieve, LG) and small glomeruli (on the 75-μm sieve, SG) groups. Western blot analyses for phospho-Akt, apoptosis-related molecules (Bax, Bcl-2, active fragments of Caspase-3 and phospho-p53) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors were performed. Conclusions.The numbers of total cells and podocytes in isolated glomeruli were determined using transmission electron microscopy. Akt phosphorylation was significantly decreased in DM-LG, while it was significantly increased in DM-SG (P < 0.05). The ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression and active fragments of Caspase-3 and phospho-p53 protein expression were significantly increased in DM-LG compared to DM-SG and C-SG (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). In contrast, the expression of p27 Kip1 and p21 Cip1 was significantly increased in DM-SG compared to DM-LG and C-SG (P < 0.05). The numbers of total glomerular cells and podocytes were significantly decreased in DM-LG (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these data show differential expression of Akt activity and apoptosis-related molecules according to glomerular size in diabetic nephropathy, suggesting that apoptosis may be more operative in more hypertrophic glomeruli, resulting in fewer glomerular cells and podocytes in diabetic nephropathy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)259-266
Number of pages8
JournalNephrology Dialysis Transplantation
Volume27
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012 Jan

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgements. This work was supported in part by the BK21 (Brain Korea 21) Project for Medical Sciences, Yonsei University, a faculty research grant from Yonsei University College of Medicine for 2009 (6-2009-0064) and the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KO-SEF) grant funded by the Korea government (MOST) (R01-2007-000-20263-0 and R13-2002-054-04001-0).

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nephrology
  • Transplantation

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