BMP7-induced-Pten inhibits Akt and prevents renal fibrosis.

Bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) counteracts pro-fibrotic effects of TGFβ in cultured renal cells and protects from fibrosis in acute and chronic renal injury models. Using the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model of chronic renal fibrosis, we investigated the effect of exogenous-rhBMP-7 on pro-fibrotic signaling pathways mediated by TGFβ and hypoxia. Mice undergoing UUO were treated with vehicle or rhBMP-7 (300μg/kg i.