Vitamin D receptor-modulated Hsp70/AT1 expression may protect the kidneys of SHRs at the structural and functional levels.

Vitamin D receptor-modulated Hsp70/AT1 expression may protect the kidneys of SHRs at the structural and functional levels.
Cell Stress Chaperones. 2013 Nov 13;
Authors: García IM, Altamirano L, Mazzei L, Fornés M, Cuello-Carrión FD, Ferder L, Manucha W
Abstract
Previous hypertension studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are linked to elevated renin-angiotensin system. The heat shock protein 70 regulates signaling pathways for cellular oxidative stress responses. Hsp70 has been shown to protect against angiotensin II-induced hypertension and exert a cytoprotective effect. Here, we wanted to evaluate whether the vitamin D receptor (VDR) associated with Hsp70/AT1 expression may be involved in the mechanism by which paricalcitol provides renal protection in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). One-month-old female SHRs were treated for 4 months with vehicle, paricalcitol, enalapril, or a combination of both paricalcitol and enalapril. The following were determined: blood pressure; biochemical parameters; fibrosis; apoptosis; mitochondrial morphology; and VDR, AT1 receptor, and Hsp70 expression in the renal cortex. Blood pressure was markedly reduced by enalapril or the combination but not by paricalcitol alone. However, VDR activation, enalapril or combination, prevented fibrosis, the number of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, mitochondrial damage, and NADPH oxidase activity in SHRs. Additionally, high AT1 receptor expression, like...

Source: Cell Stress and Chaperones - November 13, 2013 Category: Cytology Authors: García IM, Altamirano L, Mazzei L, Fornés M, Cuello-Carrión FD, Ferder L, Manucha W Tags: Cell Stress Chaperones Source Type: research