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- Title
Age-dependent expression of fibrosis-related genes and collagen deposition in rat kidney cortex.
- Authors
Gagliano, Nicoletta; Arosio, Beatrice; Gagliano, N; Arosio, B; Santambrogio, D; Balestrieri, M R; Padoani, G; Tagliabue, J; Masson, S; Vergani, C; Annoni, G
- Abstract
Because progressive fibrosis is a histological hallmark of the aging kidney, we sought to characterize the course of some fibrosis-related genes [pro-alpha2(I)collagen (COL-I), pro-alpha1(III)collagen (COL-III), and transforming growth factors beta1 and beta3 (TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta3)] of interstitial collagen accumulation [COL-I and COL-III proteins, hydroxyproline (PRO-OH), histology] and its degradation (matrix metalloproteinase MMP-1 and -2) during maturation and early aging in rats. During the lifespan considered we observed no changes in the mRNA, except that COL-I mRNA tended to be up-regulated from 2 to 19 months of age. However, progressive fibrosis was histologically detectable, with COL-I accumulation (p < .05 and p < .01 in 12-month- and 19-month-old rats vs the youngest), and confirmed by the PRO-OH tissue levels (p = .0001); COL-III seemed to be less involved. The MMP-1 protein level decreased significantly in the cortex of 12-month- and 19-month-old rats (p < .05), whereas MMP-2 protein level and activity remained essentially unchanged. These results show that, during aging of the kidney, (i) renal cortex fibrosis is explained by COL-I accumulation as a consequence of an altered balance between its synthesis and degradation, and (ii) the expression of the pleiotropic factor TGF-beta in the renal cortex is not modified.
- Subjects
COLLAGEN; TRANSFORMING growth factors-beta; MESSENGER RNA; METALLOPROTEINS; PROLINE metabolism; AGE distribution; ANIMAL experimentation; COMPARATIVE studies; GENE expression; GROWTH factors; KIDNEYS; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL cooperation; PROTEOLYTIC enzymes; RATS; RESEARCH; RNA; EVALUATION research; FIBROSIS
- Publication
Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences, 2000, Vol 55, Issue 8, pB365
- ISSN
1079-5006
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/gerona/55.8.B365