Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) promotes activated mesangial cell survival via up-regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1).

Activated mesangial cells are thought to play a pivotal role in the development of kidney fibrosis under chronic pathological conditions, including DN (diabetic nephropathy). Their prolonged survival may enhance the development of the disease since they express increased amounts of growth factors and extracellular matrix proteins. CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) is one of the growth factors produced by activated mesangial cells and is reported to play a key role in the pathogenesis of DN. Previous studies have shown that addition of exogenous CTGF to HMCs (human mesangial cells) rapidly activates ERK1/2 (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2) MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) and JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) MAPK, but not the p38 MAPK, despite the activation of the upstream kinases, MKK3/6 (MAPK kinase 3/6). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the lack of phosphorylated p38 MAPK by CTGF has an anti-apoptotic effect on activated HMCs. We show that in HMC CTGF induces the rapid transcriptional activation and synthesis of MKP-1 (MAPK phosphatase-1), a dual specificity phosphatase that dephosphorylates p38 MAPK. This in turn prevents the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, from being phosphorylated and losing its function, leading to the survival of the cells. Knockout of MKP-1 protein in mesangial cells treated with CTGF, using siRNA (small interfering RNA) or antisense oligonucleotides, allows p38 MAPK activation and induces mesangial cell death.