Publications by authors named "Etsuko Mitsuyoshi"
The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is a member of the nuclear receptor family that was initially identified to regulate blood pressure through its ability to modulate kidney sodium handling in response to aldosterone. MR can be regulated by signals other than aldosterone; however, the detailed mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We found that MR is controlled in a Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2)-dependent manner.
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- Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is characterized by damage to podocytes, which are specialized kidney cells essential for filtering blood.
- A specific protein kinase, ROCK2, was found to be activated in both FSGS mice and cultured podocytes exposed to adriamycin (ADR), a drug that induces FSGS.
- Mice with a knockout of the ROCK2 gene in podocytes showed resistance to kidney damage, and using a ROCK2 inhibitor improved podocyte health and reduced kidney scarring, suggesting that targeting ROCK2 could be a promising treatment for FSGS.
The small GTPase Rho and its effector Rho-kinase (ROCK) are activated in the diabetic kidney, and recent studies decade have demonstrated that ROCK signaling is an integral pathway in the progression of diabetic kidney disease. We previously identified the distinct role of ROCK1, an isoform of ROCK, in fatty acid metabolism in diabetic glomeruli. However, the effect of pharmacological intervention for ROCK1 is not clear.
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