title: p38 MAPK/HSP25 signaling mediates cadmium-induced contraction of mesangial cells and renal glomeruli.
abstract: The environmental pollutant cadmium affects human health, with the kidney being a primary target. In addition to proximal tubules, glomeruli and their contractile mesangial cells have also been identified as targets of cadmium nephrotoxicity. Glomerular contraction is thought to contribute to reduced glomerular filtration, a characteristic of cadmium nephrotoxicity. Because p38 MAPK/HSP25 signaling has been implicated in smooth muscle contraction, we examined its role in cadmium-induced contraction of mesangial cells. We report that exposure of mesangial cells to cadmium resulted in 1) cell contraction, 2) activation of MAP kinases, 3) increased HSP25 phosphorylation coincident with p38 MAP kinase activation, 4) sequential phosphorylation of the two phosphorylation sites of mouse HSP25 with Ser15 being phosphorylated before Ser86, 5) reduction of oligomeric size of HSP25, and 6) association of HSP25 with microfilaments. Exposure of isolated rat glomeruli to cadmium also resulted in contraction and increased HSP25 phosphorylation. The cadmium-induced responses were inhibited by the specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB-203580, and cadmium-induced phosphorylation of HSP25 was inhibited by expression of a dominant-negative p38 MAP kinase mutant. These findings tentatively suggest that cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity results, in part, from glomerular contraction due to p38 MAP kinase/HSP25 signaling-dependent contraction of mesangial cells. With regard to the cellular action of HSP25, these data support a change in paradigm: in addition to its well-established cytoprotective function, HSP25 may also be involved in processes that ultimately lead to adverse effects, as is observed in the response of mesangial cells to cadmium.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cell and Developmental Biology, Univ. of Michigan Medical School, 1335 Catherine St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0616, USA.
authors.forename: Sahoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Xiankui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Cheryl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: DeGuzman
authors.forename: Richard F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ransom
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: McLeish
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Smoyer
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Shelden
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benndorf
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C486113:Hsbp1 protein, mouse; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases