Coronavirus disease 2019 and kidney injury.

Purpose Of Review: In this paper, we seek to review coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) associated kidney injury with a focus on what is known about pathophysiology.

Recent Findings: Kidney injury is a common complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Acute tubular necrosis and glomerular injury are two common findings.

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Finnish Type 1 Diabetic Siblings Discordant for Kidney Disease Reveals DNA Variants associated with Diabetic Nephropathy.

Background: Several genetic susceptibility loci associated with diabetic nephropathy have been documented, but no causative variants implying novel pathogenetic mechanisms have been elucidated.

Methods: We carried out whole-genome sequencing of a discovery cohort of Finnish siblings with type 1 diabetes who were discordant for the presence (case) or absence (control) of diabetic nephropathy. Controls had diabetes without complications for 15-37 years.

HMG CoA reductase inhibition modulates VEGF-induced endothelial cell hyperpermeability by preventing RhoA activation and myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation.

The beneficial effects of statins are usually assumed to stem from their ability to reduce cholesterol biosynthesis. However, because statins are potent inhibitors of the mevalonate, which governs diverse cell signaling pathways, inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A reductase may also result in pleiotropic effects. The present study describes a novel pleiotropic effect of statins on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced glomerular endothelial cell (GEnC) hyperpermeability.

Hypoxia regulates PDGF-B interactions between glomerular capillary endothelial and mesangial cells.

Background: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B regulates mesangial cell and vessel development during embryogenesis, and contributes to the pathogenesis of adult renal and vascular diseases. Endothelial cell PDGF-B exerts paracrine effects on mesangial cells, but its regulation is not well defined. We examined the impact of hypoxia on PDGF-B-mediated interactions between glomerular endothelial and mesangial cells, a condition of potential relevance in developing, and diseased adult, kidneys.

Diminished NF-kappaB activation and PDGF-B expression in glomerular endothelial cells subjected to chronic shear stress.

We tested the hypothesis that in endothelial cells, chronic arterial shear stress represses both the transactivator nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and subsequent platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B gene transcription. Bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) and glomerular capillary endothelial (GEN) cells were subjected to chronic (9 days) arterial shear stress (10 dyne/cm(2)). Chronic shear stress reduced PDGF-B transcripts in BAE cells by 59 +/- 23% compared to controls, and by 70 +/- 14% in GEN cells.