title: Impact of obesity on renal structure and function in the presence and absence of hypertension: evidence from melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient mice.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the long-term impact of obesity and related metabolic abnormalities in the absence and presence of hypertension on renal injury and salt-sensitivity of blood pressure. Markers of renal injury and blood pressure salt sensitivity were assessed in 52- to 55-wk-old normotensive melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient (MC4R-/-) mice and lean C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice and in 22-wk-old MC4R-/- and WT mice made hypertensive by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in the drinking water for 8 wk. Old MC4R-/- mice were 60% heavier, hyperinsulinemic, and hyperleptinemic but had similar mean arterial pressure (MAP) as WT mice (115 +/- 2 and 117 +/- 2 mmHg) on normal salt diet (0.4% NaCl). A high-salt diet (4.0% NaCl) for 12 days did not raise MAP in obese or lean mice [DeltaMAP: MC4R (-/-) 4 +/- 2 mmHg; WT, 2 +/- 1 mmHg]. Obese MC4R-/- mice had 23% greater glomerular tuft area and moderately increased GFR compared with WT mice. Bowman's space, total glomerular area, mesangial matrix, urinary albumin excretion (UAE), renal TGF-beta and collagen expression were not significantly different between old MC4R-/- and WT mice. Renal lipid content was greater but renal macrophage count was markedly lower in MC4R-/- than WT mice. Mild increases in MAP during L-NAME treatment (approximately 16 mmHg) caused small, but greater, elevations in UAE, renal TGF-beta content, and macrophage infiltration in MC4R-/- compared with WT mice without significant changes in glomerular structure. Thus despite long-term obesity and multiple metabolic abnormalities, MC4R-/- mice have no evidence of renal injury or salt-sensitivity of blood pressure. These observations suggest that elevations in blood pressure may be necessary for obesity and related metabolic abnormalities to cause major renal injury or that MC4R-/- mice are protected from renal injury by mechanisms that are still unclear.
authors: Dept. of Physiology and Biophysics, Univ. of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State St., Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA. jdocarmo@physiology.umsmed.edu
authors: Jussara M
authors: JM
authors: do Carmo
authors: Lakshmi S
authors: LS
authors: Tallam
authors: John V
authors: JV
authors: Roberts
authors: Elizabeth L
authors: EL
authors: Brandon
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Biglane
authors: Alexandre A
authors: AA
authors: da Silva
authors: John E
authors: JE
authors: Hall
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006339:Heart Rate; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D044105:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin; D044105:Receptor, Melanocortin, Type 4; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary