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Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) augments podocyte injury, which induces glomerulosclerosis, although the mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we investigated the effects of FGF2 on cultured podocytes with interdigitating cell processes in rats. After 48 h incubation with FGF2 dynamic changes in the shape of primary processes and cell bodies of podocytes resulted in the loss of interdigitation, which was clearly shown by time-lapse photography. FGF2 reduced the gene expressions of constituents of the slit diaphragm, inflections of intercellular junctions positive for nephrin, and the width of the intercellular space. Immunostaining for the proliferation marker Ki-67 was rarely seen and weakly stained in the control without FGF2, whereas intensely stained cells were frequently found in the presence of FGF2. Binucleation and cell division were also observed, although no significant increase in cell number was shown. An in vitro scratch assay revealed that FGF2 enhanced migration of podocytes. These findings show that FGF2 makes podocytes to transition from the quiescent state into the cell cycle and change their morphology due to enhanced motility, and that the culture system in this study is useful for analyzing the pathological changes of podocytes in vivo. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00441-021-03511-x.

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by either homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the SACS gene. The original ARSACS cases found in Quebec showed very homogenous phenotypes characterized by cerebellar ataxia, spasticity, and polyneuropathy. However, many cases with atypical phenotypes have been found in other regions and ethnic groups. We herein present a Japanese patient with atypical ARSACS who showed cerebellar ataxia and polyneuropathy, but no spasticity. She carried novel compound heterozygous mutations (p.Lys4326Glu and p.Leu1412Lysfs*16) in the SACS gene. The brain MRI findings were useful for making a diagnosis of ARSACS.

Spastic paraplegia type 4 (SPG4) is the most common type of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) caused by the mutations in the SPAST gene, which encodes a microtubule-severing protein named spastin. Spastin regulates the number and mobility of microtubules and is essential for axonal outgrowth and neuronal morphogenesis. Herein, we report a patient with SPG4 harboring a novel donor splice site mutation in the SPAST gene (c.1616+1dupG). Although SPG4 usually manifests itself as a pure form of HSP, this patient exhibited a slow progressive cognitive decline and also developed narcolepsy type 2 (narcolepsy without cataplexy) prior to the onset of SPG4. Recently, cognitive decline has attracted attention as a main non-motor symptom of SPG4. However, this is the first reported case of a patient developing both SPG4 and narcolepsy, although it remains unclear whether the manifestation of the two diseases is a coincidence or an association. In this report, we describe the clinical symptoms and genetic background of the patient.

Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the high-temperature requirement A serine protease 1 gene (HTRA1) cause cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, a very rare hereditary cerebral small-vessel disease (SVD). Recently, the relationship between some heterozygous HTRA1 mutations, most of which are missense, and the occurrence of cerebral SVD has been reported. We herein report a patient with cerebral SVD carrying a heterozygous nonsense p.R302X mutation in HTRA1. This patient had a family history of cerebral infarction. This report suggests that a heterozygous p.R302X mutation in HTRA1 causes an autosomal dominant cerebral SVD.

Profound insight into age-related changes in γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAA-R) distribution using iodine-123-iomazenil single photon emission computed tomography (IMZ-SPECT) can contribute to accurate in vivo evaluation. We evaluated the age-related changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is the key region involved in various neurological and psychiatric diseases. In this study, IMZ-SPECT imaging data of 21 healthy males with an age range of 22-59 (mean, 38 ± 12) years were analyzed using three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP). The Z-score images of the younger group (age 40, n = 11) and the older group (age ≥ 40, n = 10) were compared. Subsequently, the mean RI-count ratios calculated for each Brodmann area (BA) by stereotactic extraction estimation method were compared between these groups. Thereafter, linear regression analysis between age and RI-count ratio was performed for all enrolled subjects. In the result, IMZ accumulation increased in bilateral BA10, 11, and the BA47 (left hemisphere) in the older group compared with the younger group. Furthermore, regression analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between age and RI-count ratio in these areas. Our findings indicate that GABAA-R distribution in the PFC relatively increases with age. Therefore, we concluded that the age-related changes should be considered to accurately evaluate pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

Highly organized cell processes characterize glomerular podocytes in vivo . However, podocytes in culture have a simple morphology lacking cell processes, especially upon reaching confluence. Here, we aimed to establish culture conditions under which cultured podocytes extend cell processes at confluence. Among various culture conditions that could possibly cause phenotypic changes in podocytes, we examined the effects of heparin, all- trans retinoic acid, fetal bovine serum, and extracellular matrices on the morphology of podocytes in rat primary culture. Consequently, long arborized cell processes were observed to radiate extensively from the cell body only when cells were cultured in the presence of heparin and all- trans retinoic acid on laminin-coated dishes with decreasing concentrations of fetal bovine serum. Primary processes branching repeatedly into terminal processes and cell process insertion under adjacent cell bodies were evident by electron microscopy–based analysis. Immunostaining for podocin showed conspicuous elongations of intercellular junctions. Under these conditions, the expression levels of podocyte-specific proteins and genes were markedly upregulated. Thus, we succeeded in establishing culture conditions in which the cultured podocytes exhibit phenotypes similar to those under in vivo conditions.

Nonsense and frameshift mutations of the dystrophin (DMD) gene usually cause severe Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Interestingly, however, premature stop codons in exons 1 and 2 result in relatively mild Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). Herein, we report the clinical course of a patient with a very mild phenotype of BMD caused by a frameshift mutation, NM_004006.2: c.40_41del GA/p.(Glu14ArgfsX17), in exon 2 of the DMD gene.

Phenotypic changes in culture hamper the identification and characterization of cultured podocytes and parietal epithelial cells of the Bowman's capsule (PECs). We have recently established culture conditions that restore podocytes to their differentiated phenotypes. We compared podocytes and PECs cultured under the same conditions to determine the unique characteristics of the two cell types. Performing this comparison under the same conditions accentuated these differences. Podocytes behaved like non-epithelial cells by extending cell processes even at confluence. By contrast, PECs behaved like typical epithelial cells by maintaining a polygonal appearance. Other differences were identified using immunostaining and RT-PCR; podocytes expressed high levels of podocyte-specific markers while PECs expressed high levels of PEC-specific markers. However, while podocytes expressed low levels of PEC markers, PECs expressed low levels of podocyte markers. Therefore, the identification of podocytes and PECs in culture requires the evaluation of respective cell markers and the expression of markers for other cell types.

The sample condition is an important factor in urine proteomics with stability and accuracy. However, a general protocol of urine protein preparation in mass spectrometry analysis has not yet been established. Here, we proposed a workflow for optimized sample preparation based on methanol/chloroform (M/C) precipitation and in-solution trypsin digestion in LC-MS/MS-based urine proteomics. The urine proteins prepared by M/C precipitation showed around 80% of the protein recovery rate. The samples showed the largest number of identified proteins, which were over 1000 on average compared with other precipitation methods in LC-MS/MS-based urine proteomics. For further improvement of the workflow, the essences were arranged in protein dissolving and trypsin digestion step for the extraction of urine proteins. Addition of Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) dramatically enhanced the dissolution of protein and promoted the trypsin activity in the digestion step because the treatment increased the number of identified proteins with less missed cleavage sites. Eventually, an optimized workflow was established by a well-organized strategy for daily use in the LC-MS/MS-based urine proteomics. The workflow will be of great help for several aims based on urine proteomics approaches, such as diagnosis and biomarker discovery.

Urine has evolved as one of the most important biofluids in clinical proteomics due to its noninvasive sampling and its stability. Yet, it is used in clinical diagnostics of several disorders by detecting changes in its components including urinary protein/polypeptide profile. Despite the fact that majority of proteins detected in urine are primarily originated from the urogenital (UG) tract, determining its precise source within the UG tract remains elusive. In this article, we performed a comprehensive analysis of ureter proteome to assemble the first unbiased ureter dataset. Next, we compared these data to urine, urinary exosome, and kidney mass spectrometric datasets. Our result concluded that among 2217 nonredundant ureter proteins, 751 protein candidates (33.8%) were detected in urine as urinary protein/polypeptide or exosomal protein. On the other hand, comparing ureter protein hits (48) that are not shown in corresponding databases to urinary bladder and prostate human protein atlas databases pinpointed 21 proteins that might be unique to ureter tissue. In conclusion, this finding offers future perspectives for possible identification of ureter disease‐associated biomarkers such as ureter carcinoma. In addition, the ureter proteomic dataset published in this article will provide a valuable resource for researchers working in the field of urology and urine biomarker discovery. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002620 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD002620).

OFFGEL fractionation of mouse kidney protein lysate and its tryptic peptide digest has been examined in this study for better understanding the differences between protein and peptide fractionation methods and attaining maximum recruitment of this modern methodology for in-depth proteomic analysis. With the same initial protein/peptide load for both fractionation methods, protein OFFGEL fractionation showed a preponderance in terms of protein identification, fractionation efficiency, and focusing resolution, while peptide OFFGEL was better in recovery, number of peptide matches, and protein coverage. This result suggests that the protein fractionation method is more suitable for shotgun analysis while peptide fractionation suits well quantitative peptide analysis [isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) or tandem mass tags (TMT)]. Taken together, utilization of the advantages of both fractionation approaches could be attained by coupling both methods to be applied on complex biological tissue. A typical result is shown in this article by identification of 8262 confident proteins of whole mouse kidney under stringent condition. We therefore consider OFFGEL fractionation as an effective and efficient addition to both label-free and quantitative label proteomics workflow.

Since glomerular sclerosis frequently accompanies various glomerular diseases at the end stages, it is challenging to differentiate ubiquitous biological processes underlying this pathology from those critically involved in specific diseases. Furthermore, in-depth proteomic profile of human glomerular sclerosis remains limited. In this study, human glomeruli with intermediate (i-GS) and advanced (GS) sclerotic lesions, which were excluded from specific renal diseases and assumed to be aging-related, were laser captured from macroscopically normal cortex distant from urological carcinoma, and subjected to label-free quantitative proteomic analysis. We explicate an evident increase of membrane attack complex in i-GS and GS with an up-going tendency, which is accompanied by increasing of inhibitory regulators of alternative and terminal pathways. GO annotation and IPA pathway analysis agree to these results. Proteomic findings are validated by immunohistochemical studies which indicate that alternative and terminal pathways are positively involved in the glomerular sclerosis seen in distinct renal diseases. Furthermore, proteomic analysis also demonstrates remarkable increases of complement factor B in GS and TGF-s1 in both GS and i-GS. Identification of complement factor B implicates that on-site activation of alternative pathway may occur in injured glomeruli and stepwise increase of TGF-s1 suggests its contribution to the progression of glomerulosclerosis. Biological significance This study provides in-depth quantitative proteomic profiles of human glomeruli with intermediate and advanced sclerotic lesions. It reveals that the over-expression of alternative and terminal pathway components is significantly involved in human glomerulosclerosis seen in distinct renal diseases. Proteomic identification of the increased TGF-s1 provides supporting evidence for the role of podocyte apoptosis leading to human glomerulosclerosis.

Diabetic mellitus (DM) is a disease that affects glucose homeostasis and causes complications, such as diabetic nephropathy (DN). For early diagnosis of DN, microalbuminuria is currently one of the most frequently used biomarkers. However, more early diagnostic biomarkers are desired in addition to microalbuminuria. In this study, we performed comprehensive proteomics analysis of urine proteomes of diabetic mellitus patients without microalbuminuria and healthy volunteers to compare the protein profiles by mass spectrometry. With high confidence criteria, 942 proteins in healthy volunteer urine and 645 proteins in the DM patient urine were identified with label-free semi-quantitation, respectively. Gene ontology and pathway analysis were performed with the proteins, which were up- or down-regulated in the DM patient urine to elucidate significant changes in pathways. The discovery of a useful biomarker for early DN discovery is expected.

Aim Heparin, a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan, has been shown to have a renoprotective effect on renal diseases, but its mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the effect of heparin on podocytes by using primary cultured podocytes positive for podocyte-specific markers including podocin and podocalyxin. Methods Podocytes were cultured from highly purified glomeruli isolated by the method with renal perfusion with magnetic beads and digestion of collagenase. Podocyte-specific gene expressions and proteins were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Results Real-time PCR showed that addition of heparin to the culture media significantly upregulated most of the podocyte-specific genes in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Western blotting showed a marked increase in protein levels of nephrin and podocin. Podocin localization at cell–cell contact sites became conspicuous in the presence of heparin. The effect of heparin was observed even in culture media deprived of bovine foetal serum. Heparan sulfate, less sulfated than heparin, and hyaluronan did not show such effects, but sulfated dextran did markedly. Conclusion Heparin acts on cultured podocytes to increase podocyte-specific gene expressions. A high degree of sulfation is crucial for the effect of heparin.

Purpose Abundance of blood-derived proteins in glomeruli prepared by laser microdissection from human kidney biopsy specimens has hampered in-depth proteomic analysis of glomeruli. We attempted to establish experimental platform for in-depth proteomic analysis of glomeruli by removal of blood-derived proteins from frozen biopsy samples. Experimental design Frozen sections of biopsy samples were exposed to repeated PBS washes prior to laser microdissection to remove blood-derived proteins, and glomerular dissectants were analyzed by MS. The depth of proteomic analysis was evaluated by dynamic range of identified proteins and detection of low-abundance proteins. Results Two times PBS washes of frozen sections effectively eliminated blood-derived proteins in laser-microdissected glomeruli and gave an increased number of identified proteins. Analysis of glomeruli from single specimens by a linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass analyzer generated nonredundant, high-confidence datasets of more than 400 identified proteins with high reproducibility, which attained to a considerable depth of the glomerulus proteome as revealed by a wide dynamic range and identification of low-abundance proteins. Conclusions and clinical relevance Implementation of washing of frozen section with PBS successfully removed blood-derived proteins and resulted in an in-depth proteomic analysis of laser-microdissected glomeruli, suggesting applicability to clinical study.

Tight junctions are the main intercellular junctions of podocytes of the renal glomerulus under nephrotic conditions. Their requisite components, claudins, still remain to be identified. We have measured the mRNA levels of claudin subtypes by quantitative real-time PCR using isolated rat glomeruli. Claudin-5 was found to be expressed most abundantly in glomeruli. Mass spectrometric analysis of membrane preparation from isolated glomeruli also confirmed only claudin-5 expression without any detection of other claudin subtypes. In situ hybridization and immunolocalization studies revealed that claudin-5 was localized mainly in glomeruli where podocytes were the only cells expressing claudin-5. Claudin-5 protein was observed on the entire surface of podocytes including apical and basal domains of the plasma membrane in the normal condition and was inclined to be concentrated on tight junctions in puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis. Total protein levels of claudin-5 in isolated glomeruli were not significantly upregulated in the nephrosis. These findings suggest that claudin-5 is a main claudin expressed in podocytes and that the formation of tight junctions in the nephrosis may be due to local recruitment of claudin-5 rather than due to total upregulation of the claudin protein levels.

Aim: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) acts on target cells in an endocrine and/or local manner through the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), and its actions are modulated by multiple IGF binding proteins (IGFBP). To elucidate the roles of local IGFBP in kidney glomeruli, the expression and localization of their genes were examined and compared with normal and proteinuric kidney glomeruli. Methods: A cDNA microarray database (MAd-761) was constructed using human kidney glomeruli and cortices. The gene expression levels of IGF-I, IGF-1R and IGFBP (1–10) were examined in glomeruli and cortices by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH), and the expression levels of IGFBP that were abundantly found in the glomerulus were compared between normal and proteinuric kidneys in rats and humans. Results: IGFBP-2, -7 and -8 were demonstrated to be abundantly and preferentially expressed in the glomerulus. In PCR, the expression levels of the IGFBP-2, -7, -8 and -10 genes in glomeruli were shown to have more than doubled compared with their levels in the cortices. In ISH, the IGFBP-2, -7, -8 and -10 genes were found to be localized in glomerular cells including podocytes, and their increased expression was observed in inflammatory glomeruli. IGF-I gene expression was localized in glomerular podocytes, whereas the IGF-IR gene was expressed in glomerular podocytes and cortical tubular cells. In nephrotic rats, the expression of the IGFBP-10 gene was increased in glomerular podocytes; however, the expression levels of IGFBP-2, -7 and -8 did not change. Conclusion: IGFBP-2, -7, -8 and -10 are produced by normal and injured glomerular podocytes and may regulate local IGF-I actions in podocytes and/or cortical tubular cells in the kidney.

SUMMARY Aim: To find novel genes abundantly and preferentially expressed in human glomerulus, we constructed a glomerular cDNA library and verified the reliability of our database by comparison with the Stanford Microarray Database (SMD), followed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). Methods: RNA was extracted from normal human glomeruli, and the cDNA library was constructed by plasmid cloning. Out of 5 × 103 clones from the library, 91 UniGene clusters of more than three clones were identified as ‘glomerular-abundant genes’. All these genes were referred to the SMD, and 18 genes were defined as ‘glomerular preferential genes’. Four unknown genes –IFI27, CRHBP, FLJ10154 and SEMA5B– were selected for RT-PCR to compare expression in the glomerulus with that in the cortex and medulla, and for ISH to examine glomerular localization. Also, three unknown genes that were glomerular abundant but not listed in the SMD –DDX5, HSPC138, and MGC10940– were selected for RT-PCR and ISH. Finally, a kidney biopsy specimen of crescentic glomerulonephritis was used for ISH to examine glomerular expression for CRHBP mRNA. Results: Among the selected seven glomerular-abundant genes, six were confirmed as ‘glomerular preferential genes’ by RT-PCR. By ISH, all these genes were demonstrated in podocytes. The expression of CRHBP mRNA in a single living podocyte was not changed between normal and crescentic glomerulus. Conclusion: Glomerular preferential expression and podocyte localization of these novel genes have been demonstrated for the first time. Because some of these genes were not listed in SMD, our database can be a useful tool to find novel human glomerular genes.

In order to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, we set up an experiment of twenty four C57BL/6J male mice segregated into 3 groups: normal diet (ND), omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA,) and omega 6 (n-6 PUFA). At the end of the experiment that lasted for 1 month, food consumption of ND and n-3 PUFA were similar while it decreased in n-6 PUFA group. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids profiles were increased in n-6 PUFA. LDL decreased in n-3 PUFA while increased in n-6 PUFA fed mice comparing to control group. On the other hand, there was no difference between treatments in HDL and glucose levels. Expression of leptin (ob) gene transcripts in epididymal fat were significantly elevated in n-6 PUFA mice compared to ND and n-3 PUFA groups while hypothalamic ob receptor A (obRa) mRNA did not changed in response to diet regimes. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy showed different degrees in fatty changes in the liver of both PUFA groups including lipid droplet infiltration and Ito cells with over accumulated lipids. In conclusion, under PUFA dietary supplementation, the hyperlipidemic status and elevated ob expression of n-6 PUFA but not n-3 PUFA fed mice suggests altered lipid metabolism between PUFA groups and/or different endocrine involvement. Moreover, the coincidently structural changes observed in liver of this group direct us to call for further studies to investigate the anti-obesity effect and safety of these PUFA under high supplementation condition.

Tight junctions rarely exist in podocytes of the normal renal glomerulus, whereas they are the main intercellular junctions of podocytes in nephrosis and in the early stage of development. Claudins have been identified as tight junction-specific integral membrane proteins. Those of podocytes, however, remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the expression and localization of claudin-6 in the rat kidney, especially in podocytes. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR revealed that the neonatal kidney expressed much higher levels of claudin-6 than the adult kidney. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed intense claudin-6 staining in most of the tubules and glomeruli in neonates. The staining in tubules declined distinctly in adults, whereas staining in glomeruli was well preserved during development. Claudin-6 in glomeruli was distributed along the glomerular capillary wall and colocalized with zonula occludens-1. The staining became conspicuous after kidney perfusion with protamine sulfate (PS) to increase tight junctions in podocytes. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that immunogold particles for claudin-6 were accumulated at close cell-cell contact sites of podocytes in PS-perfused kidneys, whereas a very limited number of immunogold particles were detected, mainly on the basal cell membrane and occasionally at the slit diaphragm and close cell-cell contact sites in normal control kidneys. In puromycin aminonucleoside nephrosis, immunogold particles were also found mainly at cell-contact sites of podocytes. These findings indicate that claudin-6 is a transmembrane protein of tight junctions in podocytes during development and under pathological conditions.

In this study, we report the effectiveness of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccination (TIV) for severely multiply handicapped persons/children (SMHPs) in the 2005-2006 season. In 77 SMHPs, A/New York/55/2004 (H3N2) which was the changed vaccine-strain showed significant differences in the geometric mean titers (P0.05) and seroprotection rates (P0.01) between pre- and post-vaccination. A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1) and B/Shanghai/361/2002, which were the unchanged vaccine-strains, showed no significant differences. We defined the potential responders as those who can achieve 1:40 or more hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titer after vaccination with any vaccine-strain. Therefore, the rate of potential responders is equivalent to the rate of seroprotection, estimated to be 40-60% among the SMHPs and80% among the control group in this study. In the SMHPs, even potential responders could only achieve limited HAI titers (1:40-80) even after repeated vaccination. In contrast, the control group showed higher HAI titers compared to the SMHPs for the unchanged vaccine-strains caused by the priming effect. These data suggest that it might be difficult for SMHPs (including potential responders) to achieve the priming effect by the current TIV. Consequently, they cannot obtain a booster effect.

Nephrin, a major intercellular junction (ICJ) molecule of mammalian podocytes in the renal glomerulus, is absent in the avian genome. We hypothesized that birds use ICJ molecules other than nephrin in their podocytes. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the possible involvement of adherens junction (AJ) proteins in the ICJs of avian podocytes. We found the AJ proteins N-cadherin and α- and β-catenins in podocytes of quail and chickens but not in those of rats, pigs or humans. The AJ proteins were prominent in avian glomerulus-rich fractions in immunoblot analyses, and in immunofluorescence microscopy analyses, they were localized along glomerular capillary walls appearing in at least two staining patterns: weakly diffuse and distinctly granular. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that the significant accumulation of immunogold particles for the AJ proteins were especially evident in avian slit diaphragms and AJs. Furthermore, N-cadherin was found to be expressed in all nephron cells in the early developmental stage but became confined to podocytes during maturation. These results indicate that avian slit diaphragms clearly express AJ proteins as compared with that in the mammal—where AJ proteins are suppressed to an extremely low level—and that avian podocytes are interconnected by AJs per se in addition to slit diaphragms.

Human glomeruli with intermediate (i-GS) and advanced (GS) sclerotic lesions as well as the normal control (Nor) were captured from laser microdissection, digested by trypsin and subjected to shotgun LC-MS/MS analysis (LTQ-Orbitrap XL). The label-free quantification was performed using the Normalized Spectral Index (SIN) to assess the relative molar concentration of each protein identified in a sample. All the experimental data are shown in this article. The data is associated to the research article submitted to Journal of Proteomics [1].

Suppression of experimental crescentic glomerulonephritis by interleukin-10 gene transfer.BackgroundInvestigated were effects of overexpression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) on the outcome and progression of crescentic glomerulonephritis in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.MethodsRats were singly or simultaneously injected with antiglomerular basement membrane (a-GBM) antibody and adenoviral vector encoding rat IL-10 (Ad-rIL-10) or LacZ (Ad-LacZ) (3 × 1010 pfu/rat) intravenously, and were sacrificed at day 7. Their kidneys and other organs were isolated and examined by histology and immunohistochemistry. The In vivo expression of IL-10 mRNA in the liver of Ad-rIL-10–injected rats was confirmed by both reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ribonuclease protection assay analysis and its translated protein was measured in the serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsThe exogenous IL-10 mRNA was strongly expressed in the liver in a dose-dependent manner and was intense at days 4 and 7 but was less intense at day 14. Ad-rIL-10 treatment significantly reduced the incidence of glomerular crescent formation from 67%± 1.9% in a-GBM antibody–treated group or 69.8%± 1.9% in a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ–treated group to 21.6%± 1.8% (P < 0.001), the glomerular infiltration of macrophages from 35.7 ± 6.3 cell s/gcs (a-GBM antibody) or 37.6 ± 8.6 cells/gcs (both a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ) to 17.9 ± 5.5 cells/gcs (P < 0.001), that of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II–positive cells from 14.4 ± 5.3 cells/gcs (a-GBM antibody) or 15 ± 4.6 cells/gcs (a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ) to 5.7 ± 2.3 cells/gcs (P < 0.0001) at day 7, the glomerular and immune tissue expression of IL-1β mRNA, as well as the proteinuria from 159.0 ± 22.7mg/24hours (a-GBM antibody) or 166 ± 28mg/24hours (a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ) to 42.2 ± 35.2mg/24hours (P < 0.01) at day 7. The serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were also reduced from 2.8 ± 0.1mg/dL (a-GBM antibody) or 2.8 ± 0.1mg/dL (a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ) to 1.0 ± 0.1mg/dL (P < 0.001) and from 63.2 ± 8.9mg/dL (a-GBM antibody) or 61.3 ± 5.2mg/dL (a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ) to 27.0 ± 4.5mg/dL (P < 0.001), respectively. However, the glomerular accumulation of CD8+ T cells was unaffected: 5.4 ± 1.1 cells/gcs (a-GBM antibody + Ad-rIL-10), 5.9 ± 1.5 cells/gcs (a-GBM antibody), and 5.8 ± 1.1 cells/gcs (a-GBM antibody + Ad-LacZ) (P = NS).ConclusionIL-10 gene transfer significantly attenuated the glomerular lesions and injury in the anti-GBM crescentic glomerulonephritis of WKY rats.

Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) glomerulonephritis induced in WKY rats is characterized by glomerular accumulation of CD8(+) T cells and monocytes/macrophages, followed by crescent formation. The mechanism of leukocyte accumulation after antibody binding to GBM is still unclear. To unveil an involvement of Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) in leukocytes recruitment we examined the expression of FcgammaR in glomeruli and the effects of the administration of F(ab')(2) fragment of anti-GBM antibody or FcgammaR blocking on the initiation and progression of this model. A gradual increase of FcgammaR mRNA expression in glomeruli during the time course of disease suggested their significance in the development of glomerulonephritis. Glomerular lesions and proteinuria were induced only in rats injected with intact IgG of anti-GBM antibody, but not with the F(ab')(2) fragment. In vivo blocking of FcgammaR by administering heat-aggregated IgG led to the decrease of mRNA expression for all types of FcgammaR (types 1, 2 and 3) and a significant amelioration of glomerulonephritis manifestations. By flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry FcgammaR2-expressing cells in glomeruli were identified as macrophages, but not CD8(+) T cells. The expression of FcgammaR1 and 3 was significantly decreased, and that of FcgammaR2 became undetectable in CD8(+) T cell-depleted rats. Thus, CD8(+) T cells may stimulate FcgammaR expression on macrophages, contributing to their glomerular accumulation and injury. These studies provide direct evidence for a crucial involvement of IgG Fc-FcgammaR interaction in glomerular recruitment of macrophages and following induction of anti-GBM glomerulonephritis in WKY rats.

We examined the in vivo function of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (Agtr1) on macrophages in renal fibrosis. Fourteen days after the induction of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), wild-type mice reconstituted with marrow lacking the Agtr1 gene (Agtr1(-/-)) developed more severe interstitial fibrosis with fewer interstitial macrophages than those in mice reconstituted with Agtr1(+/+) marrow. These differences were not observed at day 5 of UUO. The expression of profibrotic genes - including TGF-beta1, alpha1(I) collagen, and alpha1(III) collagen - was substantially higher in the obstructed kidneys of mice with Agtr1(-/-) marrow than in those with Agtr1(+/+) marrow at day 14 but not at day 5 of UUO. Mice with Agtr1(-/-) marrow were characterized by reduced numbers of peripheral-blood monocytes and macrophage progenitors in bone marrow. In vivo assays revealed a significantly impaired phagocytic capability in Agtr1(-/-) macrophages. In vivo treatment of Agtr1(+/+) mice with losartan reduced phagocytic capability of Agtr1(+/+) macrophages to a level comparable to that of Agtr1(-/-) macrophages. Thus, during urinary tract obstruction, the Agtr1 on bone marrow-derived macrophages functions to preserve the renal parenchymal architecture, and this function depends in part on its modulatory effect on phagocytosis.

Podocyte injury or podocyte loss in the renal glomerulus has been proposed as the crucial mechanism in the development of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. However, it is poorly understood how podocytes respond to injury. In this study, glomerular expression of connexin43 (Cx43) gap junction protein was examined at both protein and transcript levels in an experimental model of podocyte injury, puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephrosis. A striking increase in the number of immunoreactive dots with anti-Cx43 antibody was demonstrated along the glomerular capillary wall in the early to nephrotic stage of PAN nephrosis. The conspicuous change was not detected in the other areas including the mesangium and Bowman's capsule. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that the immunogold particles for Cx43 along the capillary wall were localized predominantly at the cell-cell contact sites of podocytes. Consistently, Western blotting and ribonuclease protection assay revealed a distinct increase of Cx43 protein, phosphorylation, and transcript in glomeruli during PAN nephrosis. The changes were detected by 6 hours after PAN injection. These findings indicate that the increase of Cx43 expression is one of the earliest responses that have ever been reported in podocyte injury. To show the presence of functional gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in podocytes, GJIC was assessed in podocytes in the primary culture by transfer of fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow, after a single-cell microinjection. Diffusion of the dye into adjacent cells was observed frequently in the cultured podocytes, but scarcely in cultured parietal epithelial cells of Bowman's capsule, which was compatible with their Cx43 staining. Thus, it is concluded that Cx43-mediated GJIC is present between podocytes, suggesting that podocytes may respond to injury as an integrated epithelium on a glomerulus rather than individually as a separate cell.

The expression and localization of the aquaporin-1 (AQP1) water channel were examined in the glomeruli of the human kidney. A ribonuclease protection assay showed the expression of AQP1 mRNA in human glomeruli but not in rat glomeruli. Western blot analysis revealed 28 kDa and 35 kDa bands corresponding to unglycosylated and glycosylated AQP1 proteins in human glomeruli. Immunoreactive AQP1 was demonstrated almost exclusively in the mesangium in the human glomeruli by immunohistochemistry. The endothelium of glomerular capillaries was only partly immunostained while podocytes and Bowman's capsule epithelia were not immunolabeled. Immunoelectron microscopy localized the immunoreactive AQP1 on the plasma membrane of mesangial cells in human glomeruli. The immouno-gold labeling was dense on the projections of mesangial cells protruding to the glomerular capillary lumen or to endothelial cells, but was sparse on other parts of the mesangial cell surface. No immunoreactivity for AQP1 was demonstrated in rat glomeruli. This study showed the distinct localization of AQP1 in the mesangial cells of human glomeruli, suggesting its role in water movement through these cells.

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is considered as an appropriate alternative to frozen/fresh tissue for proteomic analysis. Here we study formalin-induced alternations on a proteome-wide level. We compared LC-MS/MS data of FFPE and frozen human kidney tissues by two methods. First, clustering analysis revealed that the biological variation is higher than the variation introduced by the two sample processing techniques and clusters formed in accordance with the biological tissue origin and not with the sample preservation method. Second, we combined open modification search and spectral counting to find modifications that are more abundant in FFPE samples compared to frozen samples. This analysis revealed lysine methylation (+14 Da) as the most frequent modification induced by FFPE preservation. We also detected a slight increase in methylene (+12 Da) and methylol (+30 Da) adducts as well as a putative modification of +58 Da, but they contribute less to the overall modification count. Subsequent SEQUEST analysis and X!Tandem searches of different datasets confirmed these trends. However, the modifications due to FFPE sample processing are a minor disturbance affecting 2-6% of all peptide-spectrum matches and the peptides lists identified in FFPE and frozen tissues are still highly similar.

Performing a comprehensive nonbiased proteome analysis is an extraordinary challenge due to sample complexity and wide dynamic range, especially in eukaryotic tissues. Thus, prefractionation steps conducted prior to mass spectrometric analysis are critically important to reduce complex biological matrices and allow in-depth analysis. Here we demonstrated the use of OFFGel prefractionation to identify more low abundant and hydrophobic proteins than in a nonfractionated sample. Moreover, OFFGel prefractionation of a kidney protein sample was able to unveil protein functional relevance by detecting PTMs, especially when prefractionation was augmented with a targeted enrichment strategy such as TiO₂ phospho-enrichment. The OFFGel-TiO₂ combination used in this study was comparable to other global phosphoproteomics approaches (SCX-TiO₂, ERLIC-TiO₂, or HILIC-TiO₂). The detailed mouse kidney proteome with the phosphopeptide enrichment presented here serves as a useful platform for a better understanding of how the renal protein modification machinery works and, ultimately, will contribute to our understanding of pathological processes as well as normal physiological renal functions.

Heparin, a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan, has been shown to have a renoprotective effect on renal diseases, but its mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the effect of heparin on podocytes by using primary cultured podocytes positive for podocyte-specific markers including podocin and podocalyxin.Podocytes were cultured from highly purified glomeruli isolated by the method with renal perfusion with magnetic beads and digestion of collagenase. Podocyte-specific gene expressions and proteins were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy.Real-time PCR showed that addition of heparin to the culture media significantly upregulated most of the podocyte-specific genes in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Western blotting showed a marked increase in protein levels of nephrin and podocin. Podocin localization at cell-cell contact sites became conspicuous in the presence of heparin. The effect of heparin was observed even in culture media deprived of bovine foetal serum. Heparan sulfate, less sulfated than heparin, and hyaluronan did not show such effects, but sulfated dextran did markedly.Heparin acts on cultured podocytes to increase podocyte-specific gene expressions. A high degree of sulfation is crucial for the effect of heparin.

The expression and localization of AQP6 were examined in rat kidneys. In the kidney compartments, the expression was more intense in the outer medulla than in the cortex or inner medulla, and was negative in the glomerulus. During development, the AQP6 mRNA expression in the kidney was not detected in the fetus, but was recognized at birth, increased gradually by 4 weeks of age, and was unchanged thereafter. In situ hybridization demonstrated significant signals for AQP6 mRNA along the outer and inner medullary collecting ducts. Since the localization of the AQP6 mRNA-expressing cells was comparable to that of immunoreactive H+ ATPase-bearing cells in the collecting duct, they were identified as intercalated cells. No AQP6 mRNA signals were recognizable in other cells in the kidneys, including glomerular cells. No glomerular expression of AQP6 mRNA was confirmed by RT-PCR using total RNA extracted from the glomeruli. Immunohistochemistry using an antibody raised against recombinant rat AQP6 protein could localize the immunoreactivity in a population of collecting duct cells. Serial section observations indicated that the AQP6-immunoreactive cells corresponded to H+ ATPase bearing intercalated cells.

Salutary role for angiotensin in partial urinary tract obstruction. Background In the neonatal period, angiotensin II (Ang II) is up-regulated and induces a timely development of the renal pelvis and ureteral peristalsis, thereby protecting the kidney from hydronephrosis. We tested the possibility that in adulthood, Ang II may act salutarily on the kidney structure during partial urinary tract obstruction by inducing adaptive changes in the peristaltic machinery. Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to partial unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and divided into two groups, that is, those treated with (group L, N = 21) and those without (group C, N = 21) an angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist (losartan). Control animals were sham operated (N = 10). Rats were sacrificed either at day 7 or day 14. Results The degree of hydronephrosis determined morphometrically was significantly more severe in group L than group C at both day 7 and day 14, indicating that Ang II inhibition accentuated hydronephrosis. The measurement of upstream pressure within the partially ligated ureter in vivo revealed that losartan significantly attenuates the frequency of ureteral peristaltic activities. In in vitro studies using ureteral strips harvested from normal adult Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 10), Ang II (10-8 mol/L) was shown to augment contraction, which was completely inhibited by losartan (10-6 mol/L). Conclusions Ang II has a salutary effect of protecting kidneys from hydronephrosis during partial ureteral obstruction through its ability to augment ureteral peristalsis.

Agene encoding olfactomedin-related glycoprotein was isolated from rat glomerulus despite its prior identification as a neuron-specific gene. The mRNA expression was remarkably intense in renal glomerulus and brain and faint in the lung and eye among rat systemic organs. Although the brain contained four mRNA variants (AMY, AMZ, BMY, and BMZ) transcribed from a single gene, the glomerulus, lung, and eye expressed only two variants (BMZ and BMY). The glycoprotein was intensely immunolocalized in glomerular podocytes and neurons by using an antibody against synthetic peptide of the M region, but weak in endothelial cells of the kidney and lung. Bronchiolar epithelial cells in the lung, and ciliary, corneal, and iris epithelial cells in the eye were also stained. Immunogold electron microscopy revealed selective localization of olfactomedin-related glycoprotein at the Golgi apparatus in podocytes. In glomerular culture, the staining was also intense at a juxtanuclear region in synaptopodin-positive epithelial cells of irregular shape (phenotypic feature of podocytes), whereas it was weak in synaptopodin-negative ones of cobblestone-like appearance (phenotypic feature of parietal epithelial cells of Bowman's capsule). Interestingly, Western blot analysis identified an intense band corresponding to BMZ isoform and another faint band corresponding to BMY isoform in the glomerulus, whereas the intensity of these two bands were nearly equal in the lung and eye. In the brain, four bands corresponding to four isoforms were observed apparently. Computer sequence analysis predicted coiled-coil structures in the secondary structure of the glycoprotein similar to those in Golgi autoantigens, suggesting significant roles in the unique functions of the Golgi apparatus in rat podocytes and neurons.

Glomerular expression of the major rate-limiting enzymes for prostanoid synthesis, cyclooxygenase isoforms (COX-1 and COX-2) and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), was investigated in anti-Thy-1 nephritis in rats. Ribonuclease protection assay demonstrated minimal COX-1 mRNA expression in glomeruli of control rat kidneys and a gradual increase of expression from day 1 to day 10 after administration of monoclonal anti-rat Thy-1 antibody. On the other hand, COX-2 mRNA expression, also minimal in the normal glomeruli, was enhanced in a biphasic pattern with two peaks at 1 h and day 10. Expression of cPLA2 mRNA, which was undetectable in normal glomeruli, was induced on day 1 and increased gradually in a pattern similar to that of COX-1 mRNA expression. Immunofluorescence microscopy, using antibodies against COX isoforms, showed that both COX-1 and COX-2 were negligible or faintly detectable in the glomeruli of control rat kidneys. In contrast, the immunofluorescence for COX-1 was intensified on days 4 and 10 along the glomerular capillary walls probably in glomerular epithelial and/or endothelial cells, whereas COX-2 staining was exclusively enhanced in the glomerular epithelial cells at 1 h and day 10 during the course of anti-Thy-1 nephritis. These findings indicate that prostanoids generated through induction of COX-1, COX-2, and cPLA2 are implicated in the mediation of the mesangial cell injury model. In particular, the upregulation of COX-2 expression in glomerular epithelial cells in the selective mesangial cell injury model suggests an intercellular interaction between mesangial cells, and glomerular epithelial cells.

The mRNA expression and localization of the aquaporin (AQP) family in rat kidney were examined by ribonuclease protection assay and immunohistochemistry. AQP1, AQP2, AQP3, and AQP4 mRNA were hardly detectable in 16-day gestation fetuses. AQP1 mRNA was explosively expressed at 1 wk, keeping the level throughout life. AQP2 mRNA expression was apparently noticed in 18-day fetuses and was enhanced gradually with age to reach a plateau at 4 wk. AQP3 and AQP4 mRNA expression was significantly found at birth but was not changed remarkably thereafter. AQP2 protein appeared first at the apical side of collecting duct cells in 18-day fetuses. The staining intensity at the site increased with age, and basolateral staining was added in adult rats. AQP3 was distinctly demonstrated at the basolateral side of collecting duct cells after birth, and the staining intensity was almost stable throughout life. The progressive induction of AQP2 expression in the first 4 wk after birth is presumed to contribute to the maturation of urinary concentrating capacity during the kidney development.

半月体形成性腎炎は予後不良の糸球体疾患である。我々は実験モデルでその解析を行なっている。WKYラットにごく少量の抗糸球体基底膜抗体を投与して得られる半月体形成性腎炎モデルは，CD8陽性リンパ球 (CD8) とそれに続く多数のマクロファージ (Mφ) の糸球体内浸潤を特徴とする。我々はモノクローナル抗体を用いてこれらの細胞浸潤を抑制することにより，この腎炎の発症を抑制することを試みた。1) CD8の抑制により蛋白尿や半月体形成をほぼ完全に抑制できるが，この時糸球体内Mφ浸潤も抑制されており，糸球体内ICAM-1mRNA発現も低下していた。2) MCP-1のモノクローナル抗体投与により，腎炎4日目ではCD8を抑制せずにMφのみを抑制でき，この時蛋白尿が抑制された。以上より，半月体形成性腎炎の発症には浸潤細胞，直接的には特にMφの関与が重要であると考えられた。

Background The comprehensive analysis of human kidney glomerulus we previously performed using highly purified glomeruli, provided a dataset of 6,686 unique proteins representing 2,966 distinct genes. This dataset, however, contained considerable redundancy resulting from identification criteria under which all the proteins matched with the same set of peptides and its subset were reported as identified proteins. In this study we reanalyzed the raw data using the Mascot search engine and highly stringent criteria in order to select proteins with the highest scores matching peptides with scores exceeding the “Identity Threshold” and one or more unique peptides. This enabled us to exclude proteins with lower scores which only matched the same set of peptides or its subset. This approach provided a high-confidence, non-redundant dataset of identified proteins for extensive profiling, annotation, and comparison with other proteome datasets that can provide biologically relevant knowledge of glomerulus proteome. Results Protein identification using the Mascot search engine under highly stringent, computational strategy generated a non-redundant dataset of 1,817 proteins representing 1,478 genes. These proteins were represented by 2-D protein array specifying observed molecular weight and isoelectric point range of identified proteins to demonstrate differences in the observed and calculated physicochemical properties. Characteristics of glomerulus proteome could be illustrated by GO analysis and protein classification. The depth of proteomic analysis was well documented via comparison of the dynamic range of identified proteins with other proteomic analyses of human glomerulus, as well as a high coverage of biologically important pathways. Comparison of glomerulus proteome with human plasma and urine proteomes, provided by comprehensive analysis, suggested the extent and characteristics of proteins contaminated from plasma and excreted into urine, respectively. Among the latter proteins, several were demonstrated to be highly or specifically localized in the glomerulus by cross-reference analysis with the Human Protein Atlas database, and could be biomarker candidates for glomerular injury. Furthermore, comparison of ortholog proteins identified in human and mouse glomeruli suggest some biologically significant differences in glomerulus proteomes between the two species. Conclusions A high-confidence, non-redundant dataset of proteins created by comprehensive proteomic analysis could provide a more extensive understanding of human glomerulus proteome and could be useful as a resource for the discovery of biomarkers and disease-relevant proteins.