title: Insulin inhibits dexamethasone effect on angiotensinogen gene expression and induction of hypertrophy in rat kidney proximal tubular cells in high glucose.
abstract: The present studies investigated whether insulin inhibits the stimulatory effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on angiotensinogen (ANG) gene expression and induction of hypertrophy in rat immortalized renal proximal tubular cells (IRPTCs) in a high-glucose milieu. Rat IRPTCs were cultured in monolayer. ANG and ANG mRNA expression in IRPTCs were quantified by a specific RIA for rat ANG and by RT-PCR assay, respectively. A fusion gene containing the full length of the 5'-flanking region of the rat ANG gene linked to a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase reporter gene was introduced into IRPTCs. The level of fusion gene expression was determined by cellular chloramphenicol acetyl transferase enzymatic activity. Cellular hypertrophy was assessed by flow cytometry, cellular p27(Kip1) protein expression, and protein assay. Our results showed that high glucose (i.e. 25 mM) and DEX (10(-7) M) additively stimulated ANG gene expression and induced IRPTC hypertrophy. Insulin inhibited the effect of high glucose and DEX on these parameters. The inhibitory effect of insulin was reversed by PD 98059 (a MAPK inhibitor) but not by wortmannin (a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor). These results demonstrate that insulin is effective in blocking the stimulatory action of high glucose and DEX on ANG gene expression and induction of IRPTC hypertrophy, suggesting its important role in preventing local intrarenal renin-angiotensin system activation and renal proximal tubular cell hypertrophy induced by hyperglycemia and glucocorticoids in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Research Center, Montréal, Québec H2W 1T8 Canada.
authors.forename: Shao-Ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chih-Chang
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Janos G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Filep
authors.forename: Shiow-Shih
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Julie R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ingelfinger
authors.forename: John S D
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000808:Angiotensinogen / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C493962:Cdkn1b protein, rat; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007328:Insulin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D000808:Angiotensinogen; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D015735:Mifepristone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D005947:Glucose