Changes in the Expression of Nephrin Gene and Protein in Experimental Diabetic Nephropathy

• Published in: Laboratory investigation Vol. 81; no. 9; pp. 1185 - 1190
• Main Authors: Aaltonen, Petri, Luimula, Pauliina, Åström, Eva, Palmen, Tuula, Grönholm, Tina, Palojoki, Eeva, Jaakkola, Ilkka, Ahola, Heikki, Tikkanen, Ilkka, Holthöfer, Harry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.2001; Nature Publishing; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Animals; Associated diseases and complications; Biological and medical sciences; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - urine; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Nephropathies - blood; Diabetic Nephropathies - genetics; Diabetic Nephropathies - urine; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Gene Expression; Kidney Glomerulus - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Proteins; Proteins - genetics; Proteins - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; RNA, Messenger - blood; RNA, Messenger - urine; Tissue Distribution; Endocrinopathy; Kidney disease; Urinary system disease; Glomerular filtration; Renal function; Rat; Pathogenesis; Diabetes mellitus; Rodentia; Gene expression; Protein; Podocyte; Vertebrata; Nephrin; Mammalia; Nephropathy; Gene; Animal; Complication
• ISSN: 0023-6837; 1530-0307
• DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.3780332

Diabetic nephropathy is a major complication of diabetes leading to thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, glomerular hypertrophy, mesangial expansion, and overt renal disease. The pathophysiologic mechanisms of diabetic nephropathy remain poorly understood. Nephrin is a recently found podocyte protein crucial for the interpodocyte slit membrane structure and maintenance of an intact filtration barrier. Here we have assessed the role of nephrin in two widely used animal models of diabetes, the streptozotocin model of the rat and the nonobese diabetic mouse. In both models, the expression levels of nephrin-specific mRNA as determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction increased up to two-fold during several weeks of follow-up. Immunohistochemical stainings revealed nephrin also more centrally within the glomerular tuft along with its preferential site in podocytes. Interestingly, as detected by immunoblotting, nephrin protein was also found in the urine of streptozotocin-induced rats. We conclude that nephrin is connected to the early changes of diabetic nephropathy and thus may contribute to the loss of glomerular filtration function.