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Wang C, Zhang Y, Chen D, Weng H, Li H, Lu Y. Oral subacute nephrotoxicity of aristololactam I in rats. Toxicology 2022; 475:153228. [PMID: 35690179 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Aristolactams (ALs) have been recognized as one kind of metabolites of aristolochic acids (AAs), the nephrotoxic components of Aristolochiaceae plants, and are more widely distributed than AAs in herbal medicines. This study evaluated the oral subacute nephrotoxicity of aristolactam I (AL I), a representative compound of ALs. AL I was intragastrically administered to rats at 20 mg·kg-1·d-1 for 10 or 20 days, with aristolochic acid I (AA I) used as positive control at the same dose. After 10-day treatment, AL I led to a significant increase in early renal injury-related indices in urine and obvious histopathological lesions in kidneys, including degeneration of tubular epithelial cells, inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis. The lesions induced by AL I were significantly aggravated after 20-day exposure. However, AL I induced less histopathological damage in kidneys than AA I in both 10- and 20-day groups. Our results indicated that oral AL I caused nephrotoxicity by inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and overactivation of the complement system as AA I did. Three detected apoptosis-associated indicators were not affected by AL I but remarkably increased by AA I. In summary, oral AL I induced evident renal damage in rats after only 10 days of treatment, and the damage was aggravated after 20 days. However, AL I was obviously less nephrotoxic than AA I via oral gavage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyue Wang
- Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunyi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Daofeng Chen
- Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongbo Weng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yan Lu
- Department of Natural Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Bauer B, Liedtke D, Jarzina S, Stammler E, Kreisel K, Lalomia V, Diefenbacher M, Klopocki E, Mally A. Exploration of zebrafish larvae as an alternative whole-animal model for nephrotoxicity testing. Toxicol Lett 2021; 344:69-81. [PMID: 33722575 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Due to an increasing demand for testing of new and existing chemicals and legal restrictions for the use of animals, there is a strong need for alternative approaches to assess systemic toxicity. Embryonic and larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) are increasingly recognized as a promising alternative whole-animal model that may be able to overcome limitations of cell-based in vitro assays and bridge the gap between high-throughput in vitro screening and low-throughput in vivo tests in animals. Despite the relatively simple anatomical structure of the zebrafish larval kidney (pronephros) - composed of only two nephrons - the pronephros shares major functions and cell types with mammalian nephrons. Glomerular filtration begins at 48 h post fertilization. The aim of the present study was to investigate if early zebrafish larvae might be a suitable model for nephrotoxicity testing. On day 3 post fertilization, larval zebrafish were treated with selected nephrotoxins (aristolochic acid, cadmium chloride, potassium bromate, ochratoxin A, gentamicin) for 48 h. Histological evaluation of zebrafish larvae exposed to model nephrotoxins revealed tubule injury as evidenced by dilated tubules with loss of the brush border, tubule cell necrosis and disorganization of the tubular epithelium. These changes were most severe after treatment with gentamicin, which also impaired pronephros function as evidenced by reduced clearance of FITC-dextran. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showing loss of cdh17 expression revealed site-specific injury to the proximal tubule segment. Analysis of genes previously identified as novel biomarkers of kidney injury in mammals showed upregulation of the kidney injury marker genes heme oxygenase 1 (hmox1), clusterin (clu), secreted phosphoprotein/osteopontin (spp1), connective tissue growth factor (ctgf) and kim-1 (havcr-1) in response to nephrotoxin treatment, although the response of individual genes varied across compounds. Consistent with the severity of lesions and impaired kidney function, the most prominent gene expression changes occurred in larvae exposed to gentamicin. Overall, our results suggest that larval zebrafish may be a suitable alternative model organism for nephrotoxicity screening, yet further improvements and integration with quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation will be needed to predict human toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Bauer
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Liedtke
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Jarzina
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Emilia Stammler
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katrin Kreisel
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Viola Lalomia
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Diefenbacher
- Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eva Klopocki
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Angela Mally
- Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Strasse 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany.
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3
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Pannala VR, Vinnakota KC, Estes SK, Trenary I, OˈBrien TP, Printz RL, Papin JA, Reifman J, Oyama T, Shiota M, Young JD, Wallqvist A. Genome-Scale Model-Based Identification of Metabolite Indicators for Early Detection of Kidney Toxicity. Toxicol Sci 2020; 173:293-312. [PMID: 31722432 PMCID: PMC8000070 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying early indicators of toxicant-induced organ damage is critical to provide effective treatment. To discover such indicators and the underlying mechanisms of toxicity, we used gentamicin as an exemplar kidney toxicant and performed systematic perturbation studies in Sprague Dawley rats. We obtained high-throughput data 7 and 13 h after administration of a single dose of gentamicin (0.5 g/kg) and identified global changes in genes in the liver and kidneys, metabolites in the plasma and urine, and absolute fluxes in central carbon metabolism. We used these measured changes in genes in the liver and kidney as constraints to a rat multitissue genome-scale metabolic network model to investigate the mechanism of gentamicin-induced kidney toxicity and identify metabolites associated with changes in tissue gene expression. Our experimental analysis revealed that gentamicin-induced metabolic perturbations could be detected as early as 7 h postexposure. Our integrated systems-level analyses suggest that changes in kidney gene expression drive most of the significant metabolite alterations in the urine. The analyses thus allowed us to identify several significantly enriched injury-specific pathways in the kidney underlying gentamicin-induced toxicity, as well as metabolites in these pathways that could serve as potential early indicators of kidney damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkat R Pannala
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland 20817
| | - Kalyan C Vinnakota
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland 20817
| | - Shanea K Estes
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Irina Trenary
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Tracy P OˈBrien
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Richard L Printz
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jason A Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Jaques Reifman
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702
| | - Tatsuya Oyama
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702
- The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland 20817
| | - Masakazu Shiota
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jamey D Young
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Anders Wallqvist
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702
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Sborchia M, Keun HC, Phillips DH, Arlt VM. The Impact of p53 on Aristolochic Acid I-Induced Gene Expression In Vivo. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20246155. [PMID: 31817608 PMCID: PMC6940885 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20246155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to aristolochic acid (AA) is linked to kidney disease and urothelial cancer in humans. The major carcinogenic component of the AA plant extract is aristolochic acid I (AAI). The tumour suppressor p53 is frequently mutated in AA-induced tumours. We previously showed that p53 protects from AAI-induced renal proximal tubular injury, but the underlying mechanism(s) involved remain to be further explored. In the present study, we investigated the impact of p53 on AAI-induced gene expression by treating Trp53(+/+), Trp53(+/-), and Trp53(-/-) mice with 3.5 mg/kg body weight (bw) AAI daily for six days. The Clariom™ S Assay microarray was used to elucidate gene expression profiles in mouse kidneys after AAI treatment. Analyses in Qlucore Omics Explorer showed that gene expression in AAI-exposed kidneys is treatment-dependent. However, gene expression profiles did not segregate in a clear-cut manner according to Trp53 genotype, hence further investigations were performed by pathway analysis with MetaCore™. Several pathways were significantly altered to varying degrees for AAI-exposed kidneys. Apoptotic pathways were modulated in Trp53(+/+) kidneys; whereas oncogenic and pro-survival pathways were significantly altered for Trp53(+/-) and Trp53(-/-) kidneys, respectively. Alterations of biological processes by AAI in mouse kidneys could explain the mechanisms by which p53 protects from or p53 loss drives AAI-induced renal injury in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateja Sborchia
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK; (M.S.); (D.H.P.)
| | - Hector C. Keun
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK;
| | - David H. Phillips
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK; (M.S.); (D.H.P.)
| | - Volker M. Arlt
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK; (M.S.); (D.H.P.)
- Correspondence:
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5
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Barnett LMA, Cummings BS. Nephrotoxicity and Renal Pathophysiology: A Contemporary Perspective. Toxicol Sci 2019; 164:379-390. [PMID: 29939355 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The kidney consists of numerous cell types organized into the nephron, which is the basic functional unit of the kidney. Any stimuli that induce loss of these cells can induce kidney damage and renal failure. The cause of renal failure can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Extrinsic causes include cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, sepsis, and lung and liver failure. Intrinsic causes include glomerular nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, renal fibrosis, tubular cell death, and stones. The kidney plays a prominent role in mediating the toxicity of numerous drugs, environmental pollutants and natural substances. Drugs known to be nephrotoxic include several cancer therapeutics, drugs of abuse, antibiotics, and radiocontrast agents. Environmental pollutants known to target the kidney include cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, trichloroethylene, bromate, brominated-flame retardants, diglycolic acid, and ethylene glycol. Natural nephrotoxicants include aristolochic acids and mycotoxins such as ochratoxin, fumonisin B1, and citrinin. There are several common characteristics between mechanisms of renal failure induced by nephrotoxicants and extrinsic causes. This common ground exists primarily due to similarities in the molecular mechanisms mediating renal cell death. This review summarizes the current state of the field of nephrotoxicity. It emphasizes integrating our understanding of nephrotoxicity with pathological-induced renal failure. Such approaches are needed to address major questions in the field, which include the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of both acute and chronic renal failure, and the progression of acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian S Cummings
- Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program.,Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
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Jing J, Du Z, Wen Z, Jiang B, He B. Dynamic changes of urinary proteins in a rat model of acute hypercoagulable state induced by tranexamic acid. J Cell Physiol 2018; 234:10809-10818. [PMID: 30536986 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The hypercoagulable state leads to the development of thrombotic diseases, but it is difficult to diagnose due to the lack of available biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate systematic changes of the urinary proteome in the acute hypercoagulable state. A rat model of the acute hypercoagulable state was induced by an antifibrinolytic agent tranexamic acid and urine samples were collected for proteomic analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 28 differential proteins were detected in the urinary proteome of the model rats, of which 12 had been previously considered as candidate biomarkers such as myoglobin, and 10 had been considered stable in healthy human urine. Of the 28 differentially expressed proteins 18 had counterparts in humans. Of these 18 proteins, 10 were members of the human core urinary proteome distributed in a variety of human tissues but concentrated in the urinary and digestive systems. Fumarylacetoacetase was verified as a potential marker of the acute hypercoagulable state by Western blot analysis. In conclusion, urine proteome analysis is a powerful approach to identify potential biomarkers of acute hypercoagulable state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Jing
- Department of Biochemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenhuan Du
- Department of Biochemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhang Wen
- Department of Biochemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bixi He
- Department of Biochemistry, Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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7
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Qualification of safety biomarkers for use in drug development: What has been achieved and what is the path forward? CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2017.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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8
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An M, Ni Y, Li X, Gao Y. Effects of arginine vasopressin on the urine proteome in rats. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3350. [PMID: 28560103 PMCID: PMC5444365 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers are the measurable changes associated with a physiological or pathophysiological process. The content of urine frequently changes because it is not controlled by homeostatic mechanisms, and these alterations can be a source of biomarkers. However, urine is affected by many factors. In this study, vasoconstrictor and antidiuretic arginine vasopressin (AVP) were infused into rats using an osmotic pump. The rats’ urinary proteome after one week of infusion was analyzed by label-free LC-MS/MS. A total of 408 proteins were identified; among these proteins, eight and 10 proteins had significantly altered expression in the low and high dose groups, respectively, compared with the control group using the one-way ANOVA analysis followed by post hoc analysis with the least significant difference (LSD) test or Dunnett’s T3 test. Three differential proteins were described in prior studies as related to AVP physiological processes, and nine differential proteins are known disease biomarkers. Sixteen of the 17 differential proteins have human orthologs. These results suggest that we should consider the effects of AVP on urinary proteins in future urinary disease biomarker researches. The study data provide clues regarding underlying mechanisms associated with AVP for future physiological researches on AVP. This study provide a sensitive changes associated with AVP. However, the limitation of this result is that the candidate biomarkers should be further verified and filtered. Large clinical samples must be examined to verify the differential proteins identified in this study before these proteins are used as biomarkers for pathological AVP increased diseases, such as syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH).
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Affiliation(s)
- Manxia An
- Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yanying Ni
- Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xundou Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Youhe Gao
- Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Beijing Normal University, Gene Engineering and Biotechnology Beijing Key Laboratory, Beijing, China
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9
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Xiang T, Yang Z, Sun B, Luo H, Zhang S, Ren B, Chen X, Zhou X, Chen Z. Traditional Chinese medicine: Pivotal role of the spleen in the metabolism of aristolochic acid I in rats is dependent on oatp2a1. Mol Med Rep 2016; 14:3243-50. [DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Ramchandani D, Weber GF. Interactions between osteopontin and vascular endothelial growth factor: Implications for skeletal disorders. Bone 2015; 81:7-15. [PMID: 26123594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2015.05.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Revised: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Osteopontin (OPN) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are characterized by a convergence in function for maintaining the homeostasis of the skeletal and renal systems (the bone-renal-vascular axis regulates bone metabolism). The two cytokines contribute to bone remodeling, dental healing, kidney function, and the adjustment to microgravity. Often, they are co-expressed or one molecule induces the other, however, in some settings OPN-associated pathways and VEGF-associated pathways are distinct. In bone remodeling, OPN and VEGF are regulated under the influence of growth factors and hormones, hypoxia and inflammation, the micro-environment, and various physical forces. Their abundance can be affected by drug treatment. OPN and VEGF are variably associated with kidney disease. Their balanced levels are critical for restoring endothelial cell function and ameliorating the adverse effects of microgravity. Here, we review the relevant 83 papers of 257 articles published, and listed in PubMed under the key words OPN and VEGF.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg F Weber
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, USA.
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Ramchandani D, Weber GF. Interactions between osteopontin and vascular endothelial growth factor: Implications for cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2015; 1855:202-22. [PMID: 25732057 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2015.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For this comprehensive review, 257 publications with the keywords "osteopontin" or "OPN" and "vascular endothelial growth factor" or "VEGF" in PubMed were screened (time frame from year 1996 to year 2014). 37 articles were excluded because they were not focused on the interactions between these molecules, and papers relevant for transformation-related phenomena were selected. Osteopontin (OPN) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are characterized by a convergence in function for regulating cell motility and angiogenesis, the response to hypoxia, and apoptosis. Often, they are co-expressed or one molecule induces the other, however, in some settings OPN-associated pathways and VEGF-associated pathways are distinct. Their relationships affect the pathogenesis in cancer, where they contribute to progression and angiogenesis and serve as markers for poor prognosis. The inhibition of OPN may reduce VEGF levels and suppress tumor progression. In vascular pathologies, these two cytokines mediate remodeling, but may also perpetuate inflammation and narrowing of the arteries. OPN and VEGF are elevated and contribute to vascularization in inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg F Weber
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, USA.
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