Growth hormone-mediated janus associated kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling in the growth hormone-resistant potassium-deficient rat.

Potassium deficiency (KD) is associated with severe growth failure, in part caused by growth hormone (GH) resistance. This study set out to determine whether the resistance could be caused by a defect in GH-mediated janus associated kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) signaling as occurs in uremia. To this end, rats were fed a K-deficient diet for 8 d and pair-fed controls received a K-replete diet.

Effect of prolonged uremia on insulin-like growth factor-I receptor autophosphorylation and tyrosine kinase activity in kidney and muscle.

Recently, based on a study in rats with chronic renal failure (CRF), it has been suggested that IGF-I resistance in uremia may be caused in part by defective IGF-I receptor autophosphorylation and tyrosine kinase activity. Thus if such a defect were to develop in prolonged acute renal failure (ARF), this may explain why IGF-I therapy, effective in rats, has failed to promote recovery from ARF in patients. Accordingly, we examined IGF-I receptor function in rats with uremia of increasing duration and in pair-fed sham-operated controls.

Hepatocyte growth factor receptor in acute tubular necrosis.

In acute tubular necrosis, there are early transient increases in circulating and local bioactive hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels and renal HGF receptor (c-MET) gene expression. It has therefore been suggested that endogenous HGF may play a role in initiating renal repair. To test this hypothesis, changes in the levels, activity, and anatomic distribution of c-MET protein were characterized in relation to the onset and localization of DNA synthesis in kidneys of rats with ischemia-induced acute tubular necrosis.