Renal PET-imaging with (11)C-metformin in a transgenic mouse model for chronic kidney disease.

Background: Organic cation transporters (OCTs) in the renal proximal tubule are important for the excretion of both exo- and endogenous compounds, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) alter the expression of OCT. Metformin is a well-known substrate for OCT, and recently, we demonstrated that positron emission tomography (PET) with 11C-labelled metformin ((11)C-metformin) is a promising approach to evaluate the function of OCT. The aim of this study is therefore to examine renal pharmacokinetics of (11)C-metformin and expression of OCTs in a transgenic (RenTGF-β1) mouse model of CKD.

Restoration of Haemoglobin Level Using Hydrodynamic Gene Therapy with Erythropoietin Does Not Alleviate the Disease Progression in an Anaemic Mouse Model for TGFβ1-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease.

Erythropoietin, Epo, is a 30.4 kDa glycoprotein hormone produced primarily by the fetal liver and the adult kidney. Epo exerts its haematopoietic effects by stimulating the proliferation and differentiation of erythrocytes with subsequent improved tissue oxygenation.

Differential effects of Smad3 targeting in a murine model of chronic kidney disease.

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 has a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of progressive kidney diseases that are characterized by fibrosis. The main intracellular signaling pathway of TGF-β1 is the Smad system, where Smad2 and Smad3 play a central role in transcriptional regulation of target genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism. This study analyzes the hypothesis that blockade of Smad3 attenuates the development of TGF-β1-driven renal fibrosis.

AT1 receptor blockade prevents interstitial and glomerular apoptosis but not fibrosis in pigs with neonatal induced partial unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Obstruction-induced fibrosis is a leading cause of end-stage renal failure in children. The pathophysiological mechanisms may involve apoptosis and the renin-angiotensin system. We studied apoptosis and fibrosis in a well-established neonatal pig model with unilateral partial ureteral obstruction (PUUO) induced during ongoing nephrogenesis in 2-day-old piglets.