We report here on a novel metallothionein-I (MT)/ret transgenic mouse line in which skin melanosis, benign melanocytic tumor and malignant melanoma metastasizing to distant organs develop stepwise. The process of tumor development and its malignant transformation in this line may resemble that of the human giant congenital melanocytic nevus that is present at birth and that frequently gives rise to malignant melanoma during aging. We observed an increase in the expression level and activity of the ret transgene during the disease progression. That increase in transgene expression accompanied an activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and c-Jun as well as matrix metalloproteinases. These results suggest that progressive dysregulation of the expression level of the ret transgene might play a crucial role in the malignant transformation of melanocytic tumors developed in the MT/ret transgenic mouse line.

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Kidney fibrosis is a common process that leads to the progression of kidney diseases. We used an integrated computational/experimental systems biology approach to identify upstream protein kinases that regulate gene expression changes in kidneys of HIV-1 transgenic mice (Tg26), which have both tubulo-interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis. We identified the homeo-domain interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) as a key regulator of kidney fibrosis. HIPK2 was upregulated in kidneys of Tg26 and patients with various kidney diseases. HIV infection increased the protein level of HIPK2 by promoting oxidative stress, which inhibited SIAH1-mediated proteasomal degradation of HIPK2. HIPK2 induced apoptosis and expression of epithelial-mesenchymal trans-differentiation markers in kidney epithelial cells by activating p53, TGF-β/Smad3, and Wnt/Notch pathways. Knockout of HIPK2 improved renal function and attenuated proteinuria and kidney fibrosis in Tg26 as well as in other animal models of kidney fibrosis. We conclude that HIPK2 is a potential target for anti-fibrosis therapy.

Experiments were carried out to stably and constitutively express the coding sequence of the human cytochrome P4502E1 in HepG2, a human-hepatoma-derived cell line, by recombinant retroviral expression. Southern blot analysis showed a successful integration of a single copy of unaltered viral DNA into the genome of each transduced clone tested. Northern blot analysis showed that the transduced clones produced an RNA species which hybridized to the CYP2E1 cDNA probe. Western blot analysis using anti-human P4502E1 IgG indicated that the transduced clones produced a protein band with molecular weight of 54 000. Microsomes from transduced clones were catalytically active with p-nitrophenol, dimethylnitrosamine, aniline, and ethanol as substrates; little or no activity was found with control clones. Oxidation of p-nitrophenol was inhibited by anti-human P4502E1 IgG, diethyl dithiocarbamate, 4-methylpyrazole, and ethanol. ESR spectroscopy showed that microsomes from clone MV2E1-9 produced superoxide radical. Rates were an order of magnitude higher than that for control microsomes, most likely reflecting the loose coupling associated with P4502E1. The rate of H2O2 production by microsomes from MV2E1-9 was 2-fold greater than that of control clones. The elevated rate of H2O2 production in clone MV2E1-9 is about half the rate of superoxide radical production, suggesting that this H2O2 is largely derived from superoxide radical dismutation. Microsomal lipid peroxidation was determined using ferric-ATP as the iron catalyst. When the concentration of iron was "high" (0.025 mM), rates of production of thiobarbituric acid reactive components were identical for microsomes from MV2E1-9 and control clones. However, when the concentration of iron was lowered to 0.005 mM, control clones did not display lipid peroxidation, whereas microsomes from MV2E1-9 were reactive. This peroxidation was sensitive to antioxidants such as trolox, propyl gallate, and glutathione but not to catalase or superoxide dismutase. Rates of superoxide and H2O2 production and of lipid peroxidation were 7-20-fold higher on a per nanomole of P450 basis with clone MV2E1-9 compared to human liver microsomes, indicating that the human P4502E1 is especially reactive in production of reactive oxygen intermediates and in catalysis of lipid peroxidation.

The number of kidney podocytes is reduced in diabetic nephropathy. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in patients with diabetes and promote the apoptosis of podocyte by activating the forkhead box O4 (Foxo4) transcription factor to increase the expression of a pro-apoptosis gene, Bcl2l11. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation we demonstrate that AGE-modified bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) enhances Foxo4 binding to a forkhead binding element in the promoter of Bcl2lll. AGE-BSA also increases the acetylation of Foxo4. Lysine acetylation of Foxo4 is required for Foxo4 binding and transcription of Bcl2l11 in podocytes treated with AGE-BSA. The expression of a protein deacetylase that targets Foxo4 for deacetylation, sirtuin (Sirt1), is down regulated in cultured podocytes by AGE-BSA treatment and in glomeruli of diabetic patients. SIRT1 over expression in cultured murine podocytes prevents AGE-induced apoptosis. Glomeruli isolated from diabetic db/db mice have increased acetylation of Foxo4, suppressed expression of Sirt1, and increased expression of Bcl2l11 compared to non-diabetic littermates. Together, our data provide evidence that alteration of Foxo4 acetylation and down regulation of Sirt1 expression in diabetes promote podocyte apoptosis. Strategies to preserve Sirt1 expression or reduce Foxo4 acetylation could be used to prevent podocyte loss in diabetes.

MicroRNA-21 is required for local and remote ischemic preconditioning in multiple organ protection against sepsis, and up-regulation of miR-21 may be a potential therapy for sepsis.

Nephrin is required during kidney development for the maturation of podocytes and formation of the slit diaphragm junctional complex. Because nephrin expression is downregulated in acquired glomerular diseases, nephrin deficiency is considered a pathologic feature of glomerular injury. However, whether nephrin deficiency exacerbates glomerular injury in glomerular diseases has not been experimentally confirmed. Here, we generated mice with inducible RNA interference-mediated nephrin knockdown. Short-term nephrin knockdown (6 weeks), starting after the completion of kidney development at 5 weeks of age, did not affect glomerular structure or function. In contrast, mice with long-term nephrin knockdown (20 weeks) developed mild proteinuria, foot process effacement, filtration slit narrowing, mesangial hypercellularity and sclerosis, glomerular basement membrane thickening, subendothelial zone widening, and podocyte apoptosis. When subjected to an acquired glomerular insult induced by unilateral nephrectomy or doxorubicin, mice with short-term nephrin knockdown developed more severe glomerular injury compared with mice without nephrin knockdown. Additionally, nephrin-knockdown mice developed more exaggerated glomerular enlargement when subjected to unilateral nephrectomy and more podocyte apoptosis and depletion after doxorubicin challenge. AKT phosphorylation, which is a slit diaphragm-mediated and nephrin-dependent pathway in the podocyte, was markedly reduced in mice with long-term or short-term nephrin knockdown challenged with uninephrectomy or doxorubicin. Taken together, our data establish that under the basal condition and in acquired glomerular diseases, nephrin is required to maintain slit diaphragm integrity and slit diaphragm-mediated signaling to preserve glomerular function and podocyte viability in adult mice.

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