title: Effect of zinc deficiency on mouse renal interstitial fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy.
abstract: There is emerging evidence that tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the final common pathway of the majority of chronic progressive renal diseases, including diabetic nephropathy (DN). Zinc, an essential dietary element, has been suggested to be important for a number of protein functions during fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. However, the effect of zinc deficiency (ZnD) on renal interstitial fibrosis in DN remains unclear. The present study investigated the effect and the underlying mechanisms of ZnD on renal interstitial fibrosis during DN using an streptozotocin‑induced model of diabetes with immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis. The present study identified that dietary zinc restriction significantly decreased zinc concentrations in the plasma and mouse kidney. ZnD enhanced albuminuria and extracellular matrix protein expression, associated with diabetic renal interstitial fibrosis by activation of renal interstitial fibroblasts and regulation of the expression of fibrosis‑associated factors, which may be mediated by the activation of fibroblasts via the TGF‑β/Smad signaling pathway. The data indicates that ZnD serves an important role in the pathogenic mechanisms of renal interstitial fibrosis during the development of DN.
authors: Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China.
authors: Xiuli
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Troops of 95935 Unit, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150111, P.R. China.
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Liang
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang 157000, P.R. China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Lian
authors: Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China.
authors: Zhi-Hong
authors: ZH
authors: Chi
authors: Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China.
authors: Xuemei
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning 121001, P.R. China.
authors: Zhang
authors: Z
authors: Ping
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis; D051379:Mice; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051900:Smad3 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D051900:Smad3 Protein; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D015032:Zinc