Urine protein quantification in stacking gel by SDS-PAGE

The suppression of MAPK/NOX/MMP signaling prompts renoprotection conferred by prenatal naproxen in weaning preeclamptic rats

Although nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used for fever and pain during pregnancy, their possible interaction with perinatal renal injury induced by preeclampsia (PE) has not been addressed. Here, studies were undertaken in the N(gamma)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) PE model to assess the influence of gestational NSAIDs on renal damage in weaning dams. PE-evoked increments and decrements in urine protein and creatinine clearance, respectively, were intensified by celecoxib and weakened by diclofenac or naproxen. Naproxen also improved renal cloudy swelling, necrosis, and reduced glomerular area evoked by PE. The concomitant rises in renal expression of markers of oxidative stress (NOX2/4), extracellular matrix metaloproteinase deposition (MMP9), and prostanoids (PGE2, PGF2α, TXA2) were all more effectively reduced by naproxen compared with celecoxib or diclofenac. Western blotting showed tripled expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs; p-p38, p-JNK1, p-ERK1, p-ERK2) in PE kidneys that was overturned by all NSAIDs, with naproxen producing the largest drop in p-ERK2 expression. The PE-provoked elevation in renal expression of autophagic marker LC3 was reduced by naproxen and diclofenac, but not celecoxib. The data suggests superior effect for naproxen over other NSAIDs in rectifying preeclamptic renal injury and predisposing inflammatory, oxidative, autophagic, and fibrotic signals.

A comprehensive review on LED-induced fluorescence in diagnostic pathology

Sensitivity, specificity, mobility, and affordability are important criteria to consider for developing diagnostic instruments in common use. Fluorescence spectroscopy has been demonstrating substantial potential in the clinical diagnosis of diseases and evaluating the underlying causes of pathogenesis. A higher degree of device integration with appropriate sensitivity and reasonable cost would further boost the value of the fluorescence techniques in clinical diagnosis and aid in the reduction of healthcare expenses, which is a key economic concern in emerging markets. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are inexpensive and smaller are attractive alternatives to conventional excitation sources in fluorescence spectroscopy, are gaining a lot of momentum in the development of affordable, compact analytical instruments of clinical relevance. The commercial availability of a broad range of LED wavelengths (255-4600 nm) has opened up new avenues for targeting a wide range of clinically significant molecules (both endogenous and exogenous), thereby diagnosing a range of clinical illnesses. As a result, we have specifically examined the uses of LED-induced fluorescence (LED-IF) in preclinical and clinical evaluations of pathological conditions, considering the present advancements in the field.

Modulation by antenatal therapies of cardiovascular and renal programming in male and female offspring of preeclamptic rats

Morbidity and mortality risks are enhanced in preeclamptic (PE) mothers and their offspring. Here, we asked if sexual dimorphism exists in (i) cardiovascular and renal damage evolved in offspring of PE mothers, and (ii) offspring responsiveness to antenatal therapies. PE was induced by administering N^G-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 50 mg/kg/day, oral gavage) to pregnant rats for 7 days starting from gestational day 14. Three therapies were co-administered orally with L-NAME, atrasentan (endothelin ETA receptor antagonist), terutroban (thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist, TXA2), or α-methyldopa (α-MD, central sympatholytic drug). Cardiovascular and renal profiles were assessed in 3-month-old offspring. Compared with offspring of non-PE rats, PE offspring exhibited elevated systolic blood pressure and proteinuria and reduced heart rate and creatinine clearance (CrCl). Apart from a greater bradycardia in male offspring, similar PE effects were noted in male and female offspring. While terutroban, atrasentan, or α-MD partially and similarly blunted the PE-evoked changes in CrCl and proteinuria, terutroban was the only drug that virtually abolished PE hypertension. Rises in cardiorenal inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNFα) and oxidative (isoprostane) markers were mostly and equally eliminated by all therapies in the two sexes, except for a greater dampening action of atrasentan, compared with α-MD, on tissue TNFα in female offspring only. Histopathologically, antenatal terutroban or atrasentan was more effective than α-MD in rectifying cardiac structural damage, myofiber separation, and cytoplasmic alterations, in PE offspring. The repair by antenatal terutroban or atrasentan of cardiovascular and renal anomalies in PE offspring is mostly sex-independent and surpasses the protection offered by α-MD, the conventional PE therapy.

Prenatal endothelin or thromboxane receptor antagonism surpasses sympathoinhibition in improving cardiorenal malfunctions in preeclamptic rats

Current therapies for preeclampsia (PE) and its complications are limited and defective. Considering the importance of endothelin (ET) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) signaling in PE pathophysiology, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal blockade of endothelin ETA or thromboxane TXA2 receptors favorably reprograms preeclamptic cardiovascular and renal insults. PE was induced by daily oral administration of L-NAME (50 mg/kg) to pregnant rats for 7 consecutive days starting from gestational day 14. The effects of co-exposure to atrasentan (ETA receptor blocker, 10 mg/kg/day) or terutroban (TXA2 receptor blocker, 10 mg/kg/day) on cardiovascular and renal anomalies induced by PE were assessed on gestational day 20 (GD20) and at weaning time and compared with those evoked by the sympatholytic drug α-methyldopa (α-MD, 100 mg/kg/day), a prototypic therapy for PE management. Among all drugs, terutroban was basically the most potent in ameliorating PE-evoked increments in blood pressure and decrements in creatinine clearance. Cardiorenal tissues of PE rats exhibited significant increases in ETA and TXA2 receptor expressions and these effects disappeared after treatment with atrasentan and to a lesser extent by terutroban or α-MD. Atrasentan was also the most effective in reversing the reduced ETB receptor expression in renal tissues of PE rats. Signs of histopathological damage in cardiac and renal tissues of PE rats were mostly improved by all therapies. Together, pharmacologic elimination of ETA or TXA2 receptors offers a relatively better prospect than α-MD in controlling perinatal cardiorenal irregularities sparked by PE.

Review: Detection and quantification of proteins in human urine

Extensive medical research showed that patients, with high protein concentration in urine, have various kinds of kidney diseases, referred to as proteinuria. Urinary protein biomarkers are useful for diagnosis of many health conditions – kidney and cardio vascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, infections. This review focuses on the instrumental quantification (electrophoresis, chromatography, immunoassays, mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, the infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy) of proteins (the most of all albumin) in human urine matrix. Different techniques provide unique information on what constituents of the urine are. Due to complex nature of urine, a separation step by electrophoresis or chromatography are often used for proteomics study of urine. Mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for the discovery and the analysis of biomarkers in urine, however, costs of the analysis are high, especially for quantitative analysis. Immunoassays, which often come with fluorescence detection, are major qualitative and quantitative tools in clinical analysis. While Infrared and Raman spectroscopies do not give extensive information about urine, they could become important tools for the routine clinical diagnostics of kidney problems, due to rapidness and low-cost. Thus, it is important to review all the applicable techniques and methods related to urine analysis. In this review, a brief overview of each technique's principle is introduced. Where applicable, research papers about protein determination in urine are summarized with the main figures of merits, such as the limit of detection, the detectable range, recovery and accuracy, when available.

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Urinary protein biomarkers are useful for diagnosis of many conditions: kidney and cardio vascular diseases, cancers.

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Liquid chromatography – mass spectroscopy is a powerful tool for urine proteomics, but used mostly in science.

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Immunoassays are widely used in both clinical and bio-analytical laboratories.

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IR and Raman spectroscopies are promising tools for diagnostics of urine due to low-cost and rapidness.