title: Relaxin regulates collagen overproduction associated with experimental progressive renal fibrosis.
abstract: Progressive fibrosis due to excess extracellular matrix (primarily collagen) is the final common pathway in all forms of chronic renal disease, regardless of etiology, and leads to tissue dysfunction, when normal tissue is replaced by scar tissue. Emerging work from ourselves and others suggests that the naturally occurring hormone relaxin has the potential to limit renal collagen production and reorganization, while increasing its degradation. The outlined studies demonstrate relaxin's potential as an antifibrotic agent against experimental progressive renal disease.
authors.affiliation: Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology & Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. c.samuel@hfi.unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Chrishan S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Ishanee
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mookerjee
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Masterson
authors.forename: Geoffrey W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Tregear
authors.forename: Tim D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Hewitson
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D012065:Relaxin / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D012065:Relaxin; D003094:Collagen