[79-year-old patient with pulmorenal syndrome].

History And Admission Findings: A 79-year-old female patient was referred with acute renal failure requiring haemodialysis and haemoptysis.

Investigations: Kidney biopsy showed extracapillary proliferative glomerulonephritis with crescents in 7 from 15 glomeruli and sclerosis in the remaining. A computed tomography scan of the chest showed evidence of alveolar haemorrhage.

Adult human mesangial cells (HMCs) express endothelin-B-receptors which mediate endothelin-1-induced cell growth.

Endothelin (ET) receptor antagonists are nephroprotective in renal damage models of the rat. It is unknown whether ET receptor antagonists are also beneficial in human renal diseases. Major differences exist between the ET systems in rats and humans, therefore this study was designed to characterize the ET receptors expressed on human adult mesangial cells (HMCs).

Angiotensin II receptor type 1 gene expression in human glomerulonephritis and diabetes mellitus.

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the progression of chronic renal disease. Although the expression of renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme in experimental and human renal disease has been well characterized, no information is available regarding human angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor expression. The net effect of renin depends on AT1 receptor expression, among other factors.

Cardiac remodelling in experimental renal failure--an immunohistochemical study.

Background: In view of the high rate of cardiac death in renal failure, the factors involved in the genesis of structural changes in the heart are of obvious interest. The present study addresses the issue whether growth factors known to be involved in cardiac remodelling are abnormally expressed in rats with renal failure.

Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to binephrectomy (2 days) or subtotal nephrectomy (8 weeks).