Background/Aims: Physical training has beneficial effects on endothelial function and can influence the regeneration of the endothelial cell. We investigated the effect of physical training on cisplatin (CP)-induced acute kidney injury and assessed the impact of training on endothelial structure and function, and on the inflammatory processes in rats. Methods: We injected male Wistar rats subjected to previous physical training in treadmill running (trained, TR) or not (sedentary, SED) with CP (5 mg/kg) (TR+CP and SED+CP groups, respectively). Five days after the injections, blood and urine samples were collected to evaluate renal function and kidneys were harvested for morphological, immunohistochemical, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and analysis of nitric oxide (NO) levels. Results: Rats treated with CP showed increased levels of plasma creatinine and sodium and potassium fractional excretion. These alterations were associated with increase in tubulointerstitial lesions and macrophage number, reduction of endothelial cells, and increased VEGF, vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin expression in the outer renal medulla in the SED+CP group. We also found increased levels of renal IL-1β and increased excretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and transforming growth factor-β compared with controls. These changes were milder in trained rats, associated with increased levels of renal tissue NO, and increased expression of p-eNOS and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (a chemokine involved in kidney repair) in the kidneys of CP-injected trained rats. Conclusions: The protective effect of previous training in CP-treated rats was associated with reduced endothelial cell lesions and increased renal production of NO in trained rats.

Glycerol injection in rats can lead to rhabdomyolysis, with the release of the intracellular muscle content to the extracellular compartment and acute kidney injury (AKI). Oxidative stress and the inflammatory processes contribute to the disturbances in renal function and structure observed in this model. This study evaluated the effect of calcitriol administration in AKI induced by rhabdomyolysis and its relationship with oxidative damage and inflammatory process. Male Wistar Hannover rats were treated with calcitriol (6 ng/day) or vehicle (0.9% NaCl) for 7 days and were injected with 50% glycerol or saline 3 days after the beginning of calcitriol or saline administration. Four days after glycerol or saline injection, urine, plasma and renal tissue samples were collected for renal function and structural analysis. The oxidative stress and the inflammatory processes were also evaluated. Glycerol-injected rats presented increased sodium fractional excretion and decreased glomerular filtration rates. These alterations were associated with tubular injury in the renal cortex. These animals also presented increased oxidative damage, apoptosis, inflammation, higher urinary excretion of vitamin D-binding protein and decreased cubilin expression in renal tissue. All these alterations were less intense in calcitriol-treated animals. This effect was associated with decreases in oxidative damage and inflammation.

Background Fetal stage is a critical developmental window for the skeletal muscle, but little information is available about the impact of maternal vitamin D (Vit. D) deficiency (VDD) on offspring lean mass development in the adult life of male and female animals. Methods Female rats (Wistar Hannover) were fed either a control (1000 IU Vit. D3/kg) or a VDD diet (0 IU Vit. D3/kg) for 6 weeks and during gestation and lactation. At weaning, male and female offspring were randomly separated and received a standard diet up to 180 days old. Results Vitamin D deficiency induced muscle atrophy in the male (M-VDD) offspring at the end of weaning, an effect that was reverted along the time. Following 180 days, fast-twitch skeletal muscles [extensor digitorum longus (EDL)] from the M-VDD showed a decrease (20%; P < 0.05) in the number of total fibres but an increase in the cross-sectional area of IIB (17%; P < 0.05), IIA (19%; P < 0.05) and IIAX (21%; P < 0.05) fibres. The fibre hypertrophy was associated with the higher protein levels of MyoD (73%; P < 0.05) and myogenin (55% %; P < 0.05) and in the number of satellite cells (128.8 ± 14 vs. 91 ± 7.6 nuclei Pax7 + in the M-CTRL; P < 0.05). M-VDD increased time to fatigue during ex vivo contractions of EDL muscles and showed an increase in the phosphorylation levels of IGF-1/ insulin receptor and their downstream targets related to anabolic processes and myogenic activation, including Ser 473 Akt and Ser 21/9 GSK-3β. In such muscles, maternal VDD induced a compensatory increase in the content of calcitriol (two-fold; P < 0.05) and CYP27B1 (58%; P < 0.05), a metabolizing enzyme that converts calcidiol to calcitriol. Interestingly, most morphological and biochemical changes found in EDL were not observed in slow-twitch skeletal muscles (soleus) from the M-VDD group as well as in both EDL and soleus muscles from the female offspring. Conclusions These data show that maternal VDD selectively affects the development of type-II muscle fibres in male offspring rats but not in female offspring rats and suggest that the enhancement of their size and fatigue resistance in fast-twitch skeletal muscle (EDL) is probably due to a compensatory increase in the muscle content of Vit. D in the adult age.

Objective To analyze the impact of maternal Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) on offspring muscle development in adulthood of male and female rats. Methods Twelve 5‐week‐old female Wistar Hannover rats were fed either a Vit. D3+ diet (AIN93G with 1000 IU vitamin D3/kg diet) or Vit. D3− diet (AIN93G without vitamin D3) for six weeks and then bred to male rats. Mothers were maintained on the diets throughout gestation and lactation. At weaning, male and female offsprings were separated in four groups: male and female offspring control (M‐CTRL and F‐CTRL, respectively) pups of dams with Vit. D3+ diet; male and female offspring VDD (M‐VDD and F‐VDD, respectively) pups of dams with Vit. D3− diet. Offspring received a standard diet (Nuvilab) until 180 days of age, at which point tissues were harvested for analysis. *P≤0,05 (CEUA 052/2018). Results Both male and female VDD groups showed a reduction in the calcidiol serum concentration (23±1 vs 40±2 ng/ml in M‐CTRL and 23±2.2 ng/ml vs 36.6±0.9 ng/ml in F‐CTRL) without affecting Ca+2 serum. At weaning, M‐VDD weighed less than M‐CTRL rats but recovered weight in the 60 days post weaning and acquired a greater body weight accompanied by a higher mass of white and brown adipose tissue at 180 days. Extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from the M‐VDD showed a decrease (20 %; p<0.05) in the number of total fibers and an increase in the cross sectional area of IIB (17 %), IIA (19 %) and IIAX (21%; p<0.05) fibers. VDD also deregulated myogenesis as indicated by the higher levels of MyoD (43%; p<0.05) and Myogenin (160%; p<0.05) and in the number of satellite cells (128.8±14 vs 91±7.6 nuclei Pax7+ in the MO‐CTRL). To further investigate the signaling pathways involved in the muscle hypertrophy effect in the M‐VDD group, p‐IGF‐1/insulin receptor levels, and different insulin downstream targets related to protein synthesis including Ser 473p‐Akt, Ser 21/9 p‐GSK‐3β and Ser 209p‐eIF4e were measured. VDD increased all these parameters and in parallel increased plasma insulin and muscle IGF‐1 mRNA levels, but did not affect mTOR signaling. These changes were not found in Soleus from the M‐VDD group and in both EDL and Soleus from the female offspring. Conclusion Maternal VDD selectively affect the development of glycolytic muscle in male offspring characterized by hypoplasia, hypertrophy and deregulated myogenesis. The muscle hypertrophy is a compensatory mechanism probably due to the greater insulin sensitivity and activation of the Akt pathway. Muscles from female offspring seem to be protected from this metabolic disturbance showing a clear sex‐specific effect induced by maternal VDD. Support or Funding Information FAPESP (19/06517‐1; 18/10089‐2)

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A rabdomiólise é uma causa importante de lesão renal aguda (LRA) e decorre da lise das células musculares esqueléticas, com liberação do conteúdo intracelular para o compartimento extracelular e para a circulação. O extresse oxidativo e o processo inflamatório contribui para as alterações da função e estrutura renal que ocorrem na LRA. Estudos recentes tem evidenciado a participação da Vitamina D (Vit. D) no controle do processo inflamatório e do estresse oxidativo. Este estudo avaliou o efeito do tratamento com calcitriol (1,25-dihidroxivitamina D3) na evolução das alterações de estrutura e função renal, estresse oxidativo e no processo inflamatório renal provocados pela administração de glicerol. Ratos Wistar Hannover machos foram tratados com calcitriol (6 ng/dia, s.c., osmotic pump) ou veículo (salina 0,9%) por 7 dias, sendo no 3º dia injetados com glicerol (50%; 8ml/kg, i.m.) ou salina (8ml/kg, i.m). Os animais foram divididos em 4 grupos: Controle (n=7): receberam veículo s.c. e no 3º dia, injeção i.m de salina; Controle+Vit. D (n=7): receberam calcitriol s.c. e no 3º dia, injeção i.m de salina; Glicerol (n=13): receberam veículo s.c. e no 3º dia, injeção i.m de glicerol; Glicerol+Vit.D (n=10): receberam calcitriol s.c. e no 3º dia, injeção i.m de glicerol. Quatro dias após as injeções foram coletadas amostras de urina, plasma e tecido renal para estudos de função renal, histologia, imunoistoquímica, ELISA e Western blot. Os animais do grupo Glicerol tiveram aumento dos níveis plasmáticos de creatinina, redução da taxa de filtração glomerular, aumento da fração de excreção de sódio e redução da osmolalidade urinária comparados com os dos grupos controles. A análise histológica evidenciou aumento da área intersticial relativa e do número de túbulos com necrose no córtex renal dos animais tratados com glicerol. A lesão tubular foi também constatada pelo aumento da expressão de vimentina e PCNA nos animais do grupo Glicerol, em relação aos controles e ao grupo Glicerol+ Vit. D. Essas alterações foram menos intensas no grupo Glicerol+ Vit. D. A expressão de mioglobina estava aumentada no tecido renal de ambos os grupos tratados com glicerol. O estresse oxidativo foi observado pela aumento da expressão de 8-isoprostano nos animais do grupo Glicerol, essa alteração não estava presente nos animais controles e nos animais Glicerol+Vit. D. Ambos os grupos tratados com glicerol tiveram aumento do número de macrófagos, da expressão de NF-κB e dos níveis de IL1-β no córtex renal. Essas alterações foram atenuadas pelo tratamento com Vit. D. O grupo Glicerol apresentou também maior excreção urinária de VDBP, proteína transportadora de Vit. D e menor número de túbulos com bordadura em escova marcados com cubulina, receptor de Vit. D, em comparação aos grupos Controles e Glicerol+Vit. D. Portanto, a redução do receptor e a perda do transportador, reduz a captação de Vit. D nesse modelo, comprometendo a ativação renal de Vit. D e a sua ação no processo inflamatório e no estresse oxidativo no tecido renal. Concluindo, nossos...

In this study, diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced in Wistar rats during pregnancy and maintained in the postpartum period (PP) and we evaluated systolic blood pressure (SBP), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal immunohistochemical and morphometric studies from different groups: G1 (non-pregnant control rats), G2 (non-pregnant diabetic rats), G3 (control mothers) and G4 (diabetic mothers). We found that there were no differences in relation to SBP, but there was a tendency for reduction in GFR from G4 compared with the other groups (G). There was increased total kidney weight/body weight ratio of G4 compared with other G. There were increase in glomerular tuft area in G3 and G4 compared with G1 and G2. G2 and G4 showed even higher percentage of cortical collagen. G3 showed increased glomerular proliferating cells compared with G1 and G2, while in G4 this number was smaller than G3. Cell proliferation was higher in the tubulointerstitial (TBI) compartment from G4. Glomerular and TBI α-smooth muscle actin expression was increased in G4 compared with other G. The glomerular p-p38 expression showed a pattern similar to proliferation cell nuclear antigen, with a reduction of p-p38 in G4 relative to other G. The immunoreactivity of p-JNK was higher in both the glomeruli and TBI compartment in G4 compared with G1, G2 and G3. The DM induced during pregnancy and maintained in the PP resulted in renal structural and functional changes to mothers. In addition, altered mitogen-activated protein kinase expression in association with these changes may play an important role in renal damage observed in the present investigation.

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