Avaliação da expressão e localização da conexina 43 na injúria isquêmica renal aguda / Evaluation of Connexin 43 expression and localization in renal acute ischemic injury

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

20/06/2011

RESUMO

The cells require contact with other cells and the extracellular matrix for tissue formation. Gap junctions are narrow channels connecting the cytoplasm of two adjacent cells, promoting the passage of inorganic ions, amino acids, nucleotides and other metabolites. These junctions are composed of two conexons or hemichannels, crossing the cell plasma membrane where they belong, and consist of six integral membrane proteins called connexins (Cxs). The Cx43 is the most expressed, and is phosphorylated throughout the life cycle, undergoing conformational changes, resulting in different isoforms (P0, P1 and P2) that have different properties. The Cx43 is distributed throughout the adult kidney. The acute kidney injury (AKI) is a metabolic syndrome that occurs in acute reduction of renal function and rapid decline in glomerular filtration rate. Hypoxia resulting from ischemia is its principal cause. The restriction of oxygen and nutrients, and accumulation of metabolites, result in the injury of tubular epithelial cells. The depletion of ATP levels, increased levels of intracellular calcium, changes in the membrane and cytoskeleton deformation characterize this injury. Reoxygenation tissue acts as additional injury due to release of free radicals. Studies suggest that activation of Cx43 hemichannels, resulting from dephosphorylation of the protein during ATP depletion, is involved in the AKI. This study investigated the involvement of Cx43 in a murine model of this injury, caused by ischemia/ reperfusion. We used male mice of strain C57BL/6J. Ischemia was induced by clamping the renal arteries for 45 minutes. Reperfusion occurred 24 hours after surgery. We used six animals per group (ischemic, reperfused, and sham). After sacrifice, kidney fragments were tested for western blot, real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The levels of plasma urea and creatinine were measured to validate the experimental model. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni test. We observed significant increase in serum urea and creatinine in ischemic and reperfused animals compared to sham. Gene expression increased significantly only in the reperfused kidneys (1.9 fold, P <0.01 vs sham). The western blot showed an increase in the amount of hyperphosphorylated isoform of Cx43 (P2) in ischemic kidneys (2.73 times, P <0.05 vs sham), with significant reduction in reperfused (2.37 times, P <0 05 vs ischemic). In the less phosphorylated isoforms (P1/P0), we observed an increase in ischemic kidneys (2.33 times, P <0.05 vs sham), with a decrease in reperfused (10 times, P <0.01 vs ischemic). In immuno-histological tests we verified different locations of Cx43 in the epithelial cells of cortical tubules. In normal kidneys there was patchy distribution, while in ischemic there was intense staining in the apical cell surface. In the reperfused kidney, the distribution of Cx43 was basolateral. The changes in gene expression, protein phosphorylation and distribution of Cx43 in the kidney observed in this study were similar to changes observed in cardiac ischemia. This study showed for the first time the regulation of Cx43 in transcriptional and post-translational levels, and its cellular localization in acute renal failure caused by ischemia/reperfusion, indicating its involvement in this injury.

ASSUNTO(S)

acute kidney injury conexina 43 connexin 43 injúria renal aguda ischemia/reperfusion isquemia/reperfusão

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