Pioglitazone Inhibits the Expressions of p22phox and p47phox in Rat Mesangial Cells In Vitro

Aim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pioglitazone on oxidative stress and the expressions of p22(phox) and p47(phox), subunits of NADPH oxidase, in mesangial cells (MCs). Method. Rat mesangial cells were cultured and randomly divided into normal glucose (NG) group, high glucose (HG) group, and pioglitazone group. After 48 h exposure, the supernatants and cells were collected. The expressions of p22(phox) and p47(phox) in MCs were detected by RT-PCR and western blot. The levels of intracellular ROS were determined by flow cytometry. Coloimetry method was used to detect malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Results. Compared with the NG group, the expression levels of p22(phox), p47(phox) and ROS significantly increased, the activity of SOD decreased in HG group, while the concentration of MDA greatly increased (P < 0.01). Pioglitazone significantly suppressed HG-induced p22(phox) and p47(phox) expressions and oxidative stress. The protein and gene expressions of p22(phox) and p47(phox) were markedly reduced after pioglitazone treatment, so did the ROS generation. The activities of SOD in MCs increased, while the concentrations of MDA in the supernatant decreased greatly by pioglitazone. Conclusions. Pioglitazone can inhibit HG-induced oxidative stress in MCs through suppressing p22(phox) and p47(phox) expressions.