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Tubular epithelial cell fate following exposure to various types of injurious stimuli can be decided at distinct cell cycle checkpoints. One such checkpoint occurs during mitosis, known as the spindle assembly checkpoint, and is tightly regulated through the actions of cell division cycle protein 20 (CDC20). Due to our paucity of knowledge about the role of CDC20 in the kidney, the present study was designed to investigate the expression levels and distribution of CDC20 within the kidney and how pharmacological inhibition of CDC20 function affects kidney recovery using various rodent models of kidney injury. CDC20 is normally detected in distal tubules, but upon injury by either cisplatin administration or ureter obstruction, CDC20 accumulation is considerably elevated. Blockade of CDC20 activity using a selective pharmacological inhibitor, Apcin, lowered serum creatinine, tubular damage, and DNA injury following acute kidney injury compared with vehicle-treated mice. In unilateral ureteral obstruction, Apcin reduced tissue kidney injury molecule-1 levels, sirius red staining, and tubulointerstitial α-smooth muscle actin staining in the tissue. The findings in the present study demonstrated that elevations in CDC20 levels in the kidney are associated with kidney injury and that inhibition of CDC20 can alleviate and reverse some of the pathological effects on the architecture and function of kidney. NEW & NOTEWORTHY To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize the expression and localization of cell division cycle 20 protein (CDC20) in normal and acute, and chronically injured kidneys. Tubular epithelial cell damage was markedly reduced through the administration of a selective inhibitor of CDC20, Apcin. This study provides new evidence that CDC20 can be induced in damaged kidney cells and negatively impact the recovery of the kidney following acute kidney injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common cause of acute kidney injury leading to an induction of oxidative stress, cellular dysfunction, and loss of renal function. DNA damage, including oxidative base modifications and physical DNA strand breaks, is a consequence of renal IRI. Like many other organs in the body, a redundant and highly conserved set of endogenous repair pathways have evolved to selectively recognize the various types of cellular DNA damage and combat its negative effects on cell viability. Severe damage to the DNA, however, can trigger cell death and elimination of the injured tubular epithelial cells. In this minireview, we summarize the state of the current field of DNA damage and repair in the kidney and provide some expected and, in some cases, unexpected effects of IRI on DNA damage and repair in the kidney. These findings may be applicable to other forms of acute kidney injury and could provide new opportunities for renal research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) has been reported to promote mitogenicity in a variety of cell types, including renal epithelial cells. However, the signal transduction pathways activated by 20-HETE have not been fully defined. The present study evaluated the effects of 20-HETE and its more stable agonist analogs 20-hydroxyeicosa-5(Z), 14(Z)-dienoic acid (5, 14-20-HEDE) and N-[20-hydroxyeicosa-5(Z), 14(Z)-dienoyliglycine (5,14-20-HEDGE) on the Raf/MEK/ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (P13K)-Akt pathway in LLC-PK1 renal epithelial cells. 20-HETE (20 μM) increased phosphorylation of Raf1 (2.5 ± 0.2fold), MEK1/2 (6.3 ± 1.6-fold), and ERK1/2 (5.8 ± 0.3-fold) compared with vehicle-treated cells. Similarly, the 20-HETE analogs also strongly activated ERK1/2 in a Raf-1 and MEK1/2-dependent manner. Moreover, 5,1 4-20-HEDE increased Akt phosphorylation by 2.2 ± 0.3-fold. 20-HETE and 5,14-20-HEDE also promoted activation (Y 1086) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; Y 1086) by 1.9 ± 0.2- and 2.5 ± 0.2-fold, respectively. These effects were completely blocked by the EGFR inhibitor EKB-569 (0.1 μM). Moreover, EKB-569 (0.1 μM), as well as a c-Src inhibitor, SKI-606 (0.05 μM), completely abolished the 20-HETE-mediated activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK and P13K-Akt pathways. Blockade of PKC with bisindolylmaleimide I had no effect on 20-HETE-induced ERK1/2 activation. This study demonstrated that 20-HETE activated the Raf/MEK/ERK and Akt pathways in renal epithelial cells secondary to the activation of c-Src and EGFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) has been implicated as a potential mediator in epithelial cell proliferation and cyst formation in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In the present study, we studied the effects of chronic blockade of 20-HETE synthesis in an orthologous rodent model of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), the PCK rat. RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression of CYP4A1, CYP4A2, CYP4A3, and CYP4A8 mRNA was increased two- to fourfold in cystic PCK compared with noncystic Sprague-Dawley rat kidneys. Daily administration of a 20-HETE synthesis inhibitor, HET-0016 (10 mg·kg-1·day-1 ip) for 4-7 wk significantly reduced kidney size by 24% from 4.95 ± 0.19 g in vehicle-treated PCK rats to 3.76 ± 0.15 g (n = 4). Collecting tubule morphometric cystic indices were reduced in HET-0016-treated PCK rats (2.1 ± 0.2; n = 4) compared with vehicle-treated PCK rats (4.4 ± 0.1; n = 4). The cellular mechanism by which 20-HETE may play a role in cyst formation has not been well characterized, but there was a significantly lower (P < 0.05) level of intracellular cAMP and decreased phosphorylation (activation) of ERKI/2 protein in PCK rat kidneys (n = 3) treated with HET-0016 . These studies indicate a potential role of 20-HETE in cyst formation in the orthologous rodent PCK model of ARPKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

20-HETE, a metabolite of arachidonic acid, has been implicated as a mediator of free radical formation and tissue death following ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in the brain and heart. The present study examined the role of this pathway in a simulated IR renal injury model in vitro. Modified self-inactivating lentiviral vectors were generated to stably overexpress murine Cyp4al2 following transduction into LLC-PK1 cells (LLC-Cyp4al2). We compared the survival of control and transduced LLC-PK1 cells following 4 h of ATP depletion and 2 h of recovery in serum-free medium. ATP depletion-recovery of LLC- Cyp4al2 cells resulted in a significantly higher LDH release (P < 0.05) compared with LLC-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) cells. Treatment with the SOD mimetic MnTMPyP (100 μM) resulted in decreased cytotoxicity in LLC-Cyp4al2 cells. The selective 20-HETE inhibitor HET-0016 (10 μM) also inhibited cytotoxicity significantly (P < 0.05) in LLC-Cyp4al2 cells. Dihydroethidium fluorescence showed that superoxide levels were increased to the same degree in LLC-EGFP and LLC-Cyp4al2 cells after ATP depletion-recovery compared with control cells and that this increase was inhibited by MnTMPyP. There was a significant increase (P < 0.05) of caspase-3 cleavage, an effector protease of the apoptotic pathway, in the LLC-Cyp4al2 vs. LLC-EGFP cells (P < 0.05). This was abolished in the presence of HET-0016 (P < 0.05) or MnTMPyP (P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that 20-HETE overexpression can significantly exacerbate the cellular damage that is associated with renal IR injury and that the programmed cell death is mediated by activation of caspase-3 and is partially dependent on enhanced CYP4A generation of free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features a study that focused on the localization of the transcriptional and translational sites of angiotensin II type 1 and 2 receptor expression within the rat kidney. Preparation of oligonucleotide primers; Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; Results; Discussion.

Reports a study which quantified nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in microdissected glomeruli (Glm) of rat kidney. Concept of NOS activity in microdissected renal segments; Time dependence and tubular length dependence of citrulline formation by microdissected tubular segments; Identification of messenger RNA for NOS isoforms in activity-positive segments.

Presents a study that quantified the levels of vasopressin (AVP) receptors in RNA and protein within the distinct regions of sprague-dawley rat kidney. Methodology of the study; Functions of inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD); Results of the study.