Effect of chronic renal failure on the level of albumin messenger RNA

A gene expression signature that predicts the future onset of drug-induced renal tubular toxicity

One application of genomics in drug safety assessment is the identification of biomarkers to predict compound toxicity before it is detected using traditional approaches, such as histopathology. However, many genomic approaches have failed to demonstrate superiority to traditional methods, have not been appropriately validated on external samples, or have been derived using small data sets, thus raising concerns of their general applicability. Using kidney gene expression profiles from male SD rats treated with 64 nephrotoxic or non-nephrotoxic compound treatments, a gene signature consisting of only 35 genes was derived to predict the future development of renal tubular degeneration weeks before it appears histologically following short-term test compound administration. By comparison, histopathology or clinical chemistry fails to predict the future development of tubular degeneration, thus demonstrating the enhanced sensitivity of gene expression relative to traditional approaches. In addition, the performance of the signature was validated on 21 independent compound treatments structurally distinct from the training set. The signature correctly predicted the ability of test compounds to induce tubular degeneration 76% of the time, far better than traditional approaches. This study demonstrates that genomic data can be more sensitive than traditional methods for the early prediction of compound-induced pathology in the kidney.

Elevation of [Ca2+]i of renal proximal tubular cells and down-regulation of mRNA of PTH-PTHrP, V1a and AT1 receptors in kidney of diabetic rats

An elevation in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in rats with chronic renal failure and elevated blood levels of PTH is associated with down-regulation of the mRNA of many proteins. Similarly, in phosphate depleted animals that have normal renal function and low blood levels of PTH, [Ca2+]i is elevated and the mRNA of PTH-PTHrP receptor is down-regulated. The effect of elevation in [Ca2+]i on molecular machinery of many proteins may represent a generalized phenomenon. Diabetes mellitus may also be associated with a rise in [Ca2+]i and therefore down-regulation of the mRNA of proteins may also occur. The present study examined the effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in rats on the [Ca2+]i of the renal proximal tubular cells and on their mRNAs of the PTH-PTHrP, V1a and AT1 receptors. The basal levels of [Ca2+]i of these cells increased significantly (P < 0.01) after one day of diabetes and remained elevated thereafter. There was a significant (r = 0.67, P < 0.01) direct correlation between the [Ca2+]i of the cells and blood levels of glucose up to 350 mg/dl, and the value of [Ca2+]i plateaued with higher concentrations of glucose. Three days of amlodipine therapy prevented and reversed the elevated levels of [Ca2+]i despite marked hyperglycemia. The mRNA of all three receptors in the kidney were down-regulated and this defect was prevented by amlodipine which normalized the [Ca2+]i of the cells. The results show that: (1) the hyperglycemia of IDDM in rats causes a significant elevation in the basal levels of [Ca2+]i of the renal proximal tubular cells and down-regulation of their mRNA of PTH-PTHrP, V1a and AT1 receptors; (2) normalization of the [Ca2+]i of these cells by treatment of the diabetic rats with amlodipine prevented the elevation of [Ca2+]i and the down-regulation of the mRNA of these receptors; (3) these effects occurred in the presence of normal renal function and normal blood of PTH and phosphorus.

Abnormalities in hepatic lipase in chronic renal failure: role of excess parathyroid hormone

Post-heparin hepatic lipase activity is reduced in chronic renal failure (CRF). This could be due to reduced synthesis, decreased activity, and/or impaired secretion of the enzyme. Further, the factor(s) responsible for such derangements are not elucidated. We examined hepatic lipase metabolism in normal, 6-wk-old CRF rats, CRF-PTX (parathyroidectomized) rats, and CRF and normal rats treated with verapamil (CRF-V, normal-V) using liver homogenate, hepatic cell culture for 8 h, and in vitro liver perfusion. The Vmax of hepatic lipase in liver homogenate was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced and the Km was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in CRF rats, but the values were normal in CRF-PTX, CRF-V, and normal-V rats. Culture of hepatic cells for 8 h was associated with an increase in hepatic lipase activity but the increment in CRF rats was significantly (P < 0.01) lower than that of normal, CRF-PTX, CRF-V, and normal-V rats. Both parathyroid hormone (PTH)-(1-84) and 1-34 inhibited the production of hepatic lipase in cultured cells from normal, CRF-PTX, CRF-V, and normal-V rats. The expression of the mRNA of the hepatic lipase was significantly reduced in CRF animals with the ratio between it and that of house keeping gene G3DPH being 15 +/-3% compared to 40 +/- 1.3% in normal, 44+/-2.9% CRF-PTX, 44 +/- 5.4% in CRF-V, and 39 +/- 3.9% in normal-V rats. Infusion of heparin to the in vitro hepatic perfusion system increased the activity of hepatic lipase in the effluent in all groups of rat except in CRF animals. Infusion of PTH-(1-34) in dose of 10(-6) M into the liver perfusion system inhibited the increase in post-heparin hepatic lipase activity. The data show that in CRF (a) the mRNA of hepatic lipase is downregulated, and hepatic lipase production, activity and release are impaired, (b) that this is due to the state of secondary hyperparathyroidism of CRF since both acute and chronic excess of PTH were associated with these abnormalities, (c) and that prevention of excess PTH by PTX of CRF rats or blocking the effect of PTH by treatment with verapamil corrected the derangement in hepatic lipase metabolism.

Impaired agonist-induced calcium signaling in hepatocytes from chronic renal failure rats

Some hormones exert their action by inducing a rise in cytosolic calcium [Ca2+]i (calcium signal), and therefore, a blunting in hormone-induced calcium signal would engender resistance to the action of the hormone. Chronic renal failure (CRF) is associated with resistance to the action of a variety of hormones, a rise in [Ca2+]i and decrease in the amount of mRNA of one hormone receptor, the PTH-PTHrP receptor. We examined the calcium-signal induced by PTH, angiotensin II, vasopressin and glucagon in hepatocytes from CRF animals, evaluated the effect of the basal level [Ca2+]i on the calcium signal and explored the effect of [Ca2+]i on the mRNA of the receptors of these agonists. Hepatocytes from CRF rats have elevated basal levels of [Ca2+]i and display significantly reduced calcium signals induced by all these hormones, while the calcium signals were normal in PTX-CRF animals and those treated with verapamil both of which have normal levels of [Ca2+]i despite CRF. The calcium signals induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP and G protein activator (GTP gamma S) were normal in hepatocytes from CRF animals despite the high levels of [Ca2+]i. Northern blotting experiments revealed that the levels of the mRNA of the receptors of PTH-PTHrP, angiotensin II and vasopressin were significantly reduced in hepatocytes from CRF animals but PTX-CRF rats and those treated with verapamil had either significantly greater or even normal amounts of the mRNA of these receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)