Oleic Acid-bound Albumin Induces Apoptosis in Cultured Proximal Tubule Cells

Abstract

Proteinuria is thought to be a risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Albumin, a major component of proteinuria, is a carrier protein and forms complexes with free fatty acids FFAs in vivo. It is known that oleic acid C18 1 is one of the major FFAs that binds to albumin. In this study, we investigated the effects of oleic acid-bound albumin OA-BSA on the viability of a cultured renal proximal tubule PT cell line, mProx24. OA-BSA decreased the viability of PT cells, and the effect was inhibited by several antioxidants, including N-acetyl-L-cysteine, resveratrol, vitamin C and Trolox vitamin E. Caspase-3 activity was increased in PT cells by addition of OA-BSA. These data suggest that OA-BSA induces apoptosis by increasing oxidative stress in PT cells.