title: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of chronic renal injury: renoprotective effect of rho-kinase inhibitor in hypertensive glomerulosclerosis.
abstract: Among the GTP-binding proteins, Rho is known to function as a molecular switch in various cellular functions. Among the Rho effectors, the cellular function and signal transduction of Rho-kinase have been extensively studied. However, information about its in vivo functions is still limited. With the recent development of a specific Rho-kinase inhibitor such as Y-27632 and fasudil, the understanding of the role of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway in vitro and in vivo has advanced. However, to date, there have been few studies investigating the role of Rho-kinase in renal disease. Recent studies have shown that Rho-kinase inhibitor significantly attenuated the tubulointerstitial fibrosis in kidney induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction. However, there have been few studies investigating the role of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway in hypertensive glomerular sclerosis. In this review, we described the role of the Rho/Rho-kinase pathway in the progression of renal glomerulosclerosis in several forms of hypertensive rats. Our results suggest that chronic inhibition of the Rho-kinase pathway may be a new therapeutic approach for hypertensive glomerulosclerosis. Our results also suggest that the mechanism of the renoprotective effect of Rho-kinase inhibitor is partly mediated via inhibition of extracellular matrix gene expression, monocytes/macrophages infiltration, oxidative stress, and upregulation of eNOS gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension and Cardiorenal Medicine, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan. nishikim@dokkyomed.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikimi
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
mesh_terms: D019307:1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005355:Fibrosis; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D019307:1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine; D003094:Collagen; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; C049347:fasudil