Epigallocatechin-3-gallate attenuates unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal interstitial fibrosis in mice.

Abstract

The severity of tubulointerstitial fibrosis is regarded as an important determinant of renal prognosis. Therapeutic strategies targeting tubulointerstitial fibrosis have been considered to have potential in the treatment of chronic kidney disease. This study aims to evaluate the protective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a green tea polyphenol, against renal interstitial fibrosis in mice. EGCG was administrated intraperitoneally for 14 days in a mouse model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). The results of our histological examination showed that EGCG alleviated glomerular and tubular injury and attenuated renal interstitial fibrosis in UUO mice. Furthermore, the inflammatory responses induced by UUO were inhibited, as represented by decreased macrophage infiltration and inflammatory cytokine production. Additionally, the expression of type I and III collagen in the kidney were reduced by EGCG, which indicated an inhibition of extracellular matrix accumulation. EGCG also caused an up-regulation in α-smooth muscle actin expression and a down-regulation in E-cadherin expression, indicating the inhibition of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These changes were found to be in parallel with the decreased level of TGF-β1 and phosphorylated Smad. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that EGCG could attenuate renal interstitial fibrosis in UUO mice, and this renoprotective effect might be associated with its effects of inflammatory responses alleviation and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway inhibition.

• Authors: Yanqiu Wang, Bowen Wang, Feng Du, Xuesong Su, Guangping Sun, Guangyu Zhou, Xiaohui Bian, Na Liu
• Journal: The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society (J Histochem Cytochem) Vol. 63 Issue 4 Pg. 270-9 (04 2015) ISSN: 1551-5044 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25549657 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2015.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Cytokines
• Protective Agents
• Smad Proteins
• Catechin
• epigallocatechin gallate

Topics

• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Body Weight (drug effects)
• Catechin (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Cytokines (biosynthesis)
• Fibrosis
• Kidney (drug effects, immunology, pathology)
• Kidney Glomerulus (drug effects, pathology)
• Kidney Tubules (drug effects, pathology)
• Macrophages (drug effects, physiology)
• Male
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Organ Size (drug effects)
• Protective Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Signal Transduction
• Smad Proteins (metabolism)
• Urethral Obstruction (complications)