Influence of erythropoietin on arterial stiffness and endothelial function in renal transplant recipients.

Background/aims: Recent retrospective studies suggest an association of therapy with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and increased mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTR). Large artery structure and function are significantly impaired in RTR which contributes to their high cardiovascular morbidity and could be altered by erythropoietin. We aimed to examine the influence of ESA therapy on large artery stiffness and endothelial function in RTR.

Validation of treatment strategies for enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 induced haemolytic uraemic syndrome: case-control study.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of different treatment strategies on enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 induced haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Design: Multicentre retrospective case-control study.

Setting: 23 hospitals in northern Germany.

Cyclosporin-A induced toxicity in rat renal collecting duct cells: interference with enhanced hypertonicity induced apoptosis.

Background/aims: Rat renal inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells are physiologically exposed to a wide range of ambient tonicity. To maintain their function upon changes in osmolality, IMCD cells induce expression of osmoprotective and antiapoptotic genes, mainly mediated by the transcription factor Tonicity Enhancer Binding Protein (TonEBP). Some drugs like Cyclosporin-A (CsA) are discussed to interfere with the activity of TonEBP and thereby mediate their nephrotoxic effects.

Nanotopography follows force in TGF-beta1 stimulated epithelium.

Inflammation and cellular fibrosis often imply an involvement of the cytokine TGF-beta1. TGF-beta1 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transdifferentiation (EMT), a term describing the loss of epithelium-specific function. Indicative for this process are an elongated cell shape parallel to stress fibre formation.