Publications by authors named "Atsuko Tagawa"
Article Synopsis
- Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is crucial for breaking down triglycerides and helping cells absorb fatty acids, and its activity is impacted by insulin levels.
- Research using mice with either systemic or renal-specific LPL deficiency showed that high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia) do not lead to kidney damage or worsen chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- These findings indicate that while LPL deficiency affects lipid levels, it may not significantly contribute to kidney injury, offering new perspectives on how obesity and related conditions may influence kidney health.
Glomerular podocytes are pivotal in maintaining glomerular filtration barrier function. As severe podocyte injury results in proteinuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy, determining the pathogenesis of podocyte injury may contribute to the development of new treatments. We recently showed that autophagy is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes-related podocyte injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOvercoming refractory massive proteinuria remains a clinical and research issue in diabetic nephropathy. This study was designed to investigate the pathogenesis of massive proteinuria in diabetic nephropathy, with a special focus on podocyte autophagy, a system of intracellular degradation that maintains cell and organelle homeostasis, using human tissue samples and animal models. Insufficient podocyte autophagy was observed histologically in patients and rats with diabetes and massive proteinuria accompanied by podocyte loss, but not in those with no or minimal proteinuria.
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