Plasma and urinary endothelin-1 in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Abstract

The kidney is an important site of endothelin-1 (ET-1) production and is particularly susceptible to ET-1 action. Infusion of ET-1 in rats induces both functional and morphological alterations in the kidneys. Increased plasma level of ET-1 has been reported in patients with chronic renal failure. However, there are still no reports on the plasma and urinary ET-1 levels in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In the present study, we have measured the plasma concentration and urinary excretion rate of ET-1 in 15 patients with nephrotic syndrome due to FSGS, and observed the serial changes of plasma and urinary ET-1 in nephrotic rats with FSGS, induced by repeated injection with puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN). ET-1 was measured with radioimmunoassay. The results showed that plasma ET-1 concentration in FSGS patients was significantly higher than in normal controls (P < 0.05), and that urinary ET-1 excretion rate was also significantly higher in FSGS patients than in normal controls (P < 0.01). In FSGS patients, the plasma and urinary ET-1 was significantly correlated (P < 0.05), and the urinary ET-1 excretion rate was significantly correlated with the amount of proteinuria (P < 0.05) and the glomerular sclerosing score (P < 0.01). In the ten rats with PAN-induced FSGS, serial examination showed a significant increase in plasma ET-1 after 8 weeks of injections, while the urinary ET-1 excretion rate showed a biphasic increase that showed a peak after 4 to 6 weeks. The same changes in plasma and urinary ET-1 levels were not observed in control rats injected with normal saline at the same frequency. Our results suggest that ET-1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of FSGS in both humans and rats.

• Authors: H C Chen, J Y Guh, J M Chang, J C Tsai, S J Hwang, Y H Lai
• Journal: Journal of clinical laboratory analysis (J Clin Lab Anal) Vol. 15 Issue 2 Pg. 59-63 ( 2001) ISSN: 0887-8013 [Print] United States
• PMID: 11291106 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Endothelin-1
• Puromycin Aminonucleoside

Topics

• Adult
• Animals
• Disease Models, Animal
• Endothelin-1 (blood, urine)
• Female
• Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental (blood, pathology, urine)
• Humans
• Injections, Subcutaneous
• Male
• Puromycin Aminonucleoside (administration & dosage)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar