Abstract

BACKGROUND
The glomerulus is a complex physiological structure, as well as selective filtration barrier in the control of renal blood flow and blood pressure. Glomerular epithelial cells may play an important role in development of diabetic nephropathy. Apoptosis of the glomerular epithelial cells are characterized by disappearance of a selective filtration barrier. TGF-beta is a key factor in the development of diabetic nephropathy because of its effects on the accumulation of extracellular matrix and mesangial cell proliferation. We examined whether the high glucose and TGF-beta induce the apoptosis in cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells. METHODS: Glomerular epithelial cells were cultured from rat glomeruli and conditioned with different concentration of TGF-beta or high-glucose. We measured apoptosis of cultured rat glomerular epithelial cell conditioning with different concentration of TGF-beta or high-glucose by using DNA electrophoresis. RESULTS: High glucose (25 mM) induced apoptosis of cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells compared to controls. TGF-beta also induced cell death of cultured rat glomerular epithelial cells in dose dependent manner. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that high glucose and TGF-beta-induced cell death of glomerular epithelial cell may play an important role in diabetic nephropathy and proteinuria. Pathway of apoptosis or cell death by high glucose and TGF-beta must be investigated in the glomerular epithelial cells.

• Keywords: Apoptosis;Diabetic nephropathy;Glomerular epithelial cell;High-glucose;TGF-beta