title: Functional interface between cathepsins and growth factors in the kidney development.
abstract: During kidney development many proteases are involved with the remodeling process of the extracellular matrix (ECM) during nephrogenesis. This study used embryonic kidneys culture, tridimensional cell culture, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques in order to investigate the expression of cathepsins S (CS) and cathepsin H (CH) during metanephrogenesis and their functional interface with hepatic growth factor (HGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Results have shown that cathepsin S has been expressed early than the cathepsin H in the nephrogenesis. NGF antibody in the embryonic kidney cultures, in a dose-dependent mechanism inhibited the CS but not CH genic expression by RT-PCR. The tridimensional cells culture with MDCK and IMCD cells confirmed the interface between HGF and CS and CH once their inhibitors added to the culture, reduced the fancy branching formation induced by this growth factor. In summary, this study suggests that CS and CH are differently expressed during nephrogenesis and also that they are involved with the tubulogenesis probably mediating specific growth factors such as NGF and HGF.
authors.affiliation: Nursing School, University of São Paulo, Av Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419, CEP 05403 000, São Paulo, Brazil. nephron@usp.br
authors.forename: Maria de Fatima Fernandes
authors.initials: Mde F
authors.lastname: Vattimo
authors.forename: Oscar Fernando Pavão
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism*; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D002403:Cathepsins