College of Biological Engineering, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong, 643000, China.
State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Curr Med Sci. 2021 Jun;41(3):498-504. doi: 10.1007/s11596-021-2368-4. Epub 2021 Jun 15.
The abnormal growth of epithelium-like cells has been noticed in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) with hypertensive nephropathy. However, the characteristics of abnormal epithelium-like cells and their pathogenesis in hypertensive nephropathy are not fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the correlation of epithelium-like cells with glomerular injury, and the effects of early drug intervention with telmisartan, an anti-hypertensive drug, on the growth of epithelium-like cells. The results showed that the epithelium-like cells were obviously observed lining along the luminal surface of Bowman's capsule in glomeruli, significantly resulting in the atrophy of the glomerular tuft. Some of the epithelium-like cells strongly expressed proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and vimentin, indicating active cellular proliferation. The incidence of epithelium-like cells varied from 13.6% to 54.4% of glomeruli in 48-week-old SHRs, and from 5.1% to 18.0% of glomeruli in age-matched Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats (P<0.01). The linear regression analysis further confirmed an obvious correlation between the incidence of epithelium-like cells and the glomerular injury. Moreover, early intervention with telmisartan could dramatically attenuate the progression of epithelium-like cells growth. However, no significant effect of telmisartan on the established epithelium-like cells was observed. Taken together, we demonstrated the involvement of abnormal epithelium-like cells growth in glomerular injury during hypertensive nephropathy in SHRs, and firstly showed the positive effects of the anti-hypertensive drug on the progression of epithelium-like cells growth.
在患有高血压肾病的自发性高血压大鼠（SHR）中，已经注意到上皮样细胞的异常生长。然而，高血压肾病中异常上皮样细胞的特征及其发病机制尚未完全了解。在本研究中，我们研究了上皮样细胞与肾小球损伤的相关性，以及抗高血压药物替米沙坦早期药物干预对上皮样细胞生长的影响。结果表明，上皮样细胞明显沿肾小球鲍曼囊的腔面排列，导致肾小球丛明显萎缩。一些上皮样细胞强烈表达增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）和波形蛋白，表明细胞增殖活跃。48 周龄 SHR 肾小球上皮样细胞的发生率为 13.6%至 54.4%，年龄匹配的 Wistar-Kyoto（WKY）大鼠的发生率为 5.1%至 18.0%（P<0.01）。线性回归分析进一步证实了上皮样细胞发生率与肾小球损伤之间存在明显的相关性。此外，替米沙坦的早期干预可显著减轻上皮样细胞生长的进展。然而，替米沙坦对已建立的上皮样细胞没有明显的作用。总之，我们证明了异常上皮样细胞生长参与了 SHR 高血压肾病中的肾小球损伤，并首次显示了抗高血压药物对上皮样细胞生长进展的积极影响。
