Phenylbutyrate up-regulates the adrenoleukodystrophy-related gene as a nonclassical peroxisome proliferator.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a demyelinating disease due to mutations in the ABCD1 (ALD) gene, encoding a peroxisomal ATP-binding cassette transporter (ALDP). Overexpression of adrenoleukodystrophy-related protein, an ALDP homologue encoded by the ABCD2 (adrenoleukodystrophy-related) gene, can compensate for ALDP deficiency. 4-Phenylbutyrate (PBA) has been shown to induce both ABCD2 expression and peroxisome proliferation in human fibroblasts.

Angiotensin II administration causes enhanced expression of glomerulosclerosis-related markers and decreased renal antioxidant enzyme activities in rats.

Angiotensin II administration to rats during 6 weeks causes decreased activity of catalase and glutathione peroxidase in renal cortex. Rats show mild hypertension, subclinical signs of renal injury, increased glomerular expression of desmin, glomerular and interstitial expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and an increased number of ED-1-positive cells in glomeruli. An inverse correlation exists between catalase activity and glomerular alpha-smooth muscle actin expression and between glutathione peroxidase activity and glomerular desmin expression.

Renal antioxidant enzymes and fibrosis-related markers in the rat adriamycin model.

Excessive generation of reactive oxygen intermediates can induce changes in the cellular antioxidant defence system. In this study we examine the antioxidant enzyme status and the expression of fibrosis-related marker proteins in the Adriamycin model of chronic renal failure in the rat. Twenty weeks after Adriamycin treatment, rats have overt nephrotic syndrome and renal failure with development of tubulo-interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis.

Antioxidant enzyme gene expression in rats with remnant kidney induced chronic renal failure.

Reactive oxygen intermediates play a role in chronic renal injury and glomerulosclerosis. We investigate changes in renal cortex antioxidant enzyme gene expression in the rat remnant-kidney model of chronic renal failure and compare the new data to enzyme activities published earlier. Antioxidant enzyme gene expression is evaluated by Northern blot analysis of cortex mRNA, using cDNA probes for catalase, copper/zinc-containing superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase.

Pituitary growth hormone release and gene expression in cafeteria-diet-induced obese rats.

In human obesity as well as in rat obesity models a decrease in spontaneous and stimulated GH secretion has been a constant finding. The presence of a decreased pituitary GH synthesis in diet-induced obese male rats was investigated and its possible relationship with obesity-related changes in peripheral hormones was analyzed. Cafeteria-diet-overfed obese male Wistar rats with body fat percentage above 30% had a significantly decreased pituitary GH mRNA transcript level assessed by both Northern blot and in situ hybridization, and a lower pituitary GH protein level as demonstrated by immunocytochemistry.