| 18929559 |
Diah S, Zhang GX, Nagai Y, Zhang W, Gang L, Kimura S, Hamid MR, Tamiya T, Nishiyama A, Hitomi H: Aldosterone induces myofibroblastic transdifferentiation and collagen gene expression through the Rho-kinase dependent signaling pathway in rat mesangial cells. Sheng Wu Yi Xue Gong Cheng Xue Za Zhi. 2008 Apr;25(2):407-12.
There is accumulating evidence indicating the role of aldosterone in the pathogenesis of hypertension and renal injury. In this study, we investigated the role of the Rho-kinase dependent signaling pathway in aldosterone-induced myofibroblastic transdifferentiation and collagen gene expression in rat mesangial cells (RMCs). Stimulation with aldosterone (1 nmol/L) significantly increased phosphorylation of myosin phosphatase target subunit-1 (MYPT-1), a marker of Rho-kinase activity, with a peak at 20 min in RMCs. Pre-incubation with a selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, eplerenone (10 micromol/L), or a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor, Y27632 (10 micromol/L), attenuated the aldosterone-induced increase in MYPT-1 phosphorylation. Aldosterone also induced hypertrophy in RMCs, accompanied by an increase in actin polymerization and expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), a myofibroblastic transdifferentiation marker. Collagen type I, III and IV mRNA levels were also increased with aldosterone stimulation. Pre-treatment with eplerenone or Y27632 prevented the aldosterone-induced cell hypertrophy, actin polymerization, the increase in alpha-SMA expression and the increases of collagen type I, III, IV mRNA levels in RMCs. These results suggest that aldosterone-induced mesangial cell hypertrophy is associated with cell transformation, leading to an increase in collagen gene expression via the Rho-kinase dependent signaling pathway. |
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