AREGU March 47/3

Yoo, Kee Hwan, Barbara A. Thornhill, and Robert L. Chevalier. Angiotensin stimulates TGF-b1 and clusterin in the hydronephrotic neonatal rat kidney. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 278: R640–R645, 2000.—Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) induces activation of the renin-angiotensin system and upregulation of transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1; a cytokine modulating cellular adhesion and fibrogenesis) and clusterin (a glycoprotein produced in response to cellular injury). This study was designed to examine the regulation of renal TGF-b1 and clusterin by ANG II in the neonatal rat. Animals were subjected to UUO in the first 2 days of life, and renal TGF-b1 and clusterin mRNA were measured 3 days later. Rats were divided into treatment groups receiving saline vehicle, ANG, losartan (AT1 receptor inhibitor), or PD-123319 (AT2 receptor inhibitor).ANG stimulated renal TGF-b1 expression via AT1 receptors, a response similar to that in the adult. In contrast, clusterin expression was stimulated via AT2 receptors, a response differing from that in the adult, in which ANG inhibits clusterin expression via AT1 receptors. We speculate that the unique response of the neonatal hydronephrotic kidney to ANG II is due to the preponderance of AT2 receptors in the developing kidney.