Effect of rosiglitazone on podocyte's nephrin expression in adriamycin nephrotic rats

AIM To investigate the effects of rosiglitazone on podocytes' nephrin expression in established adriamycin nephrotic rat models.METHODS The rats were randomly assigned to three groups.The rats of adriamycin and rosiglitazone groups were induced by a single dose of 0.1% adriamycin (7 mg·kg~(-1))injected into the tail vein,and then the rats of rosiglitazone group were treated furthermore with rosiglitazone (5 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) per day for eight consecutive weeks,while the other rats received the same dose of normal saline for gastric infusion daily.Measurements of the levels of urinary protein,serum albumin,total blood cholesterol and triglyceride,renal function and pathologic changes were taken in rats after eight weeks together with the tests of the expressions of nephrin and TGFβ_1 in kidney of the rats.RUSULTS Two,four,six,eight weeks after the rosiglitazone administration,24 h urinary protein excretion of rosiglitazone group decreased significantly as compared to that of adriamycin group (P0.05),the serum albumin level increased as (26.7±s2.6) g·L~(-1) vs (21±4) g·L~(-1)(P0.05) at 8 wk,but the serum total cholesterol and triglyceride decreased in the rats of rosiglitazone group (P0.01).The pathological change in rats with adrimycine nephrosis were ameliorated by rosiglitazone presenting as the increase of nephrin protein expression (P0.05) and decrease of TGFβ_1 protein expression in rosiglitazone group (P0.01).CONCLUSION Rosiglitazone could up-regulate the expression of nephrin in rats with adrimycine nephrosis,and in turn decrease the urinary protein excretion,prohibit TGFβ_1 expression;thus decrease the renal tissue pathologic damage.