Catalase Prevents Maternal Diabetes–Induced Perinatal Programming via the Nrf2–HO-1 Defense System

We investigated whether overexpression of catalase (CAT) in renal proximal tubular cells (RPTCs) could prevent the programming of hypertension and kidney disease in the offspring of dams with maternal diabetes. Male offspring of nondiabetic and diabetic dams from two transgenic (Tg) lines (Hoxb7-green fluorescent protein [GFP]-Tg [controls] and Hoxb7/CAT-GFP-Tg, which overexpress CAT in RPTCs) were studied from the prenatal period into adulthood. Nephrogenesis, systolic blood pressure, renal hyperfiltration, kidney injury, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were assessed. Gene expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), nuclear factor erythroid 2p45–related factor-2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was tested in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Renal dysmorphogenesis was observed in offspring of Hoxb7-GFP-Tg dams with severe maternal diabetes; the affected male offspring displayed higher renal ROS generation and developed hypertension and renal hyperfiltration as well as renal injury with heightened TGF-β1 expression in adulthood. These changes were ameliorated in male offspring of diabetic Hoxb7/CAT-GFP-Tg dams via the Nrf2–HO-1 defense system. CAT promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation and HO-1 gene expression, seen in both in vitro and in vivo studies. In conclusion, CAT overexpression in the RPTCs ameliorated maternal diabetes–induced perinatal programming, mediated, at least in part, by triggering the Nrf2–HO-1 defense system

Angiotensin II Type II Receptor Deficiency Accelerates the Development of Nephropathy in Type I Diabetes via Oxidative Stress and ACE2

Since the functional role(s) of angiotensin II (Ang II) type II receptor (AT2R) in type I diabetes is unknown, we hypothesized that AT2R is involved in decreasing the effects of type I diabetes on the kidneys. We induced diabetes with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) in both AT2R knockout (AT2RKO) and wild-type (WT) male mice aged 12 weeks and followed them for 4 weeks. Three subgroups nondiabetic, diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic (Rx insulin implant) were studied. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), physiological parameters, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal morphology, gene expression, and apoptosis were assessed. After 4 weeks of diabetes, compared to WT controls, AT2RKO mice clearly developed features of early diabetic nephropathy (DN), such as renal hypertrophy, tubular apoptosis, and progressive extracellular matrix (ECM) protein accumulation as well as increased GFR. AT2RKO mice presented hypertension unaffected by diabetes. Renal oxidative stress (measured as heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) gene expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation) and intrarenal renin angiotensin system components, such as angiotensinogen (Agt), AT1R, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene expression, were augmented whereas angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2) gene expression was decreased in renal proximal tubules (RPTs) of AT2RKO mice. The renal changes noted above were significantly enhanced in diabetic AT2RKO mice but partially attenuated in insulin-treated diabetic WT and AT2RKO mice. In conclusion, AT2R deficiency accelerates the development of DN, which appears to be mediated, at least in part, via heightened oxidative stress and ACE/ACE2 ratio in RPTs

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

High glucose promotes nascent nephron apoptosis via NF-κB and p53 pathways

A hyperglycemic environment in utero reduces kidney size and nephron number due to nascent nephron apoptosis. However, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The present study investigated whether the nascent nephron apoptosis promoted by high glucose is mediated via the transcription factor NF-κB and p53 signaling pathways. Neonatal mouse kidneys from the offspring of nondiabetic, diabetic, and insulin-treated diabetic dams were used for in vivo studies, and MK4 cells, an embryonic metanephric mesenchymal (MM) cell line, were used for in vitro studies. Neonatal kidneys of the offspring of diabetic mothers exhibited an increased number of apoptotic cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, enhanced NF-κB activation, and nuclear translocation of its subunits (p50 and p65 subunits) as well as phosphorylation (Ser 15) of p53 compared with kidneys of offspring of nondiabetic mothers. Insulin treatment of diabetic dams normalized these parameters in the offspring. In vitro, high-glucose (25 mM) induced ROS generation and significantly increased MK4 cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activity via activation of NF-κB pathway, with p53 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation compared with normal glucose (5 mM). These changes in a high-glucose milieu were prevented by transient transfection of small interfering RNAs for dominant negative IκBα or IKK or p53. Our data demonstrate that high glucose-induced nascent nephron apoptosis is mediated, at least in part, via ROS generation and the activation of NF-κB and p53 pathways. </jats:p