High-fat diet in low-dose-streptozotocin-treated heminephrectomized rats induces all features of human type 2 diabetic nephropathy: a new rat model of diabetic nephropathy.

Background And Aim: We have developed a new rat model that mimics the natural course of diabetic nephropathy seen in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Nine days after intravenous injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (40 mg/kg) or vehicle to 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats, the animals' right kidneys were surgically removed. Two weeks after surgery, the STZ-injected rats were fed on either a high-fat (ST+HF) or a normal (ST) diet, while the vehicle-injected rats were fed on the high-fat diet (HF).

Carbonic adsorbent AST-120 retards progression of renal failure by additive effect with ACEI and protein restriction diet.

Background: In order to slow the progression of chronic renal failure (CRF), a multimodal approach should be applied if the efficacy is proved. Although compelling evidence of a beneficial effect exists for the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and low-protein diets, there is little evidence on whether carbon adsorbent has an effect on retardation of the progression of CRF.

Methods: In experiment 1, we examined whether the oral carbon adsorbent, AST-120, conferred an additive effect with captopril and an 80% restriction diet on the survival rate of 3/4 nephrectomized rats (3/4 NX).

Association of TGF-beta signaling in angiotensin II-induced PAI-1 mRNA upregulation in mesangial cells: role of PKC.

This study aimed to identify the intracellular signaling pathway in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) mRNA expression in cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells, and to examine the interaction between Ang II and TGF-beta signaling. Ang II-induced upregulation of PAI-1 mRNA expression was prevented by a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, bisindorylmaleimide I. While phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) upregulated the PAI-1 mRNA expression, a calcium ionophore, ionomycin, had little effect.

Quenching of nitric oxide by an oral carbonaceous adsorbent.

The ability of carbonaceous particles (AST-120), originally developed as an enteral adsorbent of uremic toxins, to quench nitric oxide (NO) was tested. NO in solutions prepared by two methods [NO gas bubbling and NO generating system, i.e.

Chimeric mice carrying 'regional' targeted deletion of the angiotensin type 1A receptor gene. Evidence against the role for local angiotensin in the in vivo feedback regulation of renin synthesis in juxtaglomerular cells.

We have developed chimeric mice carrying 'regional' null mutation of the angiotensin type 1A (AT1A) receptor, the AT1 receptor subtype exclusively present in mouse juxtaglomerular (JG) cells. The chimeric mouse (Agtr1a -/- <--> +/+) is made up of wild-type (Agtr1a +/+) cells or cells homozygous for Agtr1a deletion (Agtr1a -/-). In the latter, the AT1A coding exon was replaced with a reporter gene, lacZ.