title: Expression of the transcriptional regulator Egr-1 in experimental glomerulonephritis: requirement for mesangial cell proliferation.
abstract: The early growth response gene-1 (Egr-1), a zinc finger transcriptional regulator, was induced in a rat model of mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (GN). Northern blot analysis revealed a maximal 14.9-fold increase in glomerular Egr-1 mRNA at day 6 of GN. By immunohistochemistry Egr-1 protein expression was demonstrated to be mainly confined to glomerular mesangial cells (MC). To test whether Egr-1 directly regulates MC proliferation, cultured MCs were stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) after preincubation with different Egr-1 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). PDGF-induced rise in 3H-thymidine uptake by 83% and almost completely abrogated increase in MC number. We conclude that Egr-1 induction is of critical importance for PDGF-induced mitogenic signaling in MCs, and inhibition of Egr-1 in vivo may offer an approach to oppose glomerular MC proliferation in glomerular inflammatory disease.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik IV, Institut der Universität Erlangen-Nümberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoffer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Heer
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sterzel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Faller
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Schoecklmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008297:Male; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051766:Early Growth Response Protein 1; C486110:Egr1 protein, rat; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013936:Thymidine