Treatment with 1, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Preserves Glomerular Slit Diaphragm-Associated Protein Expression in Experimental Glomerulonephritis

In this study, we investigated the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on proteinuria and on the alteration of slit diaphragm-associated proteins induced by anti-Thy 1.1 in Wistar rats. Four groups of animals were studied: group I, anti-Thy 1.1 treated rats; group II, anti-Thy1.1 treated group that at day 2, after the onset of overt proteinuria, started the treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3; group III, normal control rats injected with vehicle alone; group IV, rats that received only 1,25(OH)2D3. At day 2, in group I and II, before the administration of 1,25(OH)2D3, protein excretion was significantly increased when compared to controls. Overt proteinuria was maintained until day 14 in group I whereas in group II protein excretion was significantly reduced from day 3 to day 14. Moreover, treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 abrogated podocytes injury, detected as desmin expression and loss of nephrin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), two slit diaphragm-associated proteins, and glomerular polyanion staining, that were observed in group I. In conclusion, these results suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 administrated with a therapeutic regiment may revert proteinuria, counteracting glomerular podocyte injury.

Transglomerular cationic macromolecular flux is mediated by a convection-binding mechanism

Glomerular polyanion function was explored using charged and neutral [3H]dextrans in the multiple indicator-dilution experiment. Anesthetized dogs received an intrarenal bolus of 125I-labeled albumin (plasma reference), [14C]inulin (glomerular reference) and [3H]dextran (test solute), followed by rapid serial sampling of the renal venous and urine outflows. Reduced urinary recovery of cationic diethylaminoethyl dextrans (DEAE) [3H]dextrans [19.0– to 31.5–A Stokes-Einstein radius (SER)], compared with neutral [3H]dextran indicated intrarenal binding reversed by excess unlabeled cationic dextran. Tubular microperfusion with cationic [3H]dextran confirmed a pretubular binding site (presumed glomerular). The application of a computer-assisted mathematical model of convective flux plus reversible binding revealed that binding affinity increased with molecular size. In vitro high-affinity binding of the same cationic [3H]dextrans to isolated rat glomeruli was also found to increase with molecular size and was inhibited by protamine sulfate. Intrarenal polycation perfusion with protamine sulfate (1.0–3.8 mg/g kidney) or lysozyme (1.1–2.2 mg/g body wt) resulted in intraglomerular binding of anionic [3H]dextran without increased proteinuria or altered glomerular permselectivity to neutral [3H]dextrans less than or equal to 33.0–A SER. Hence, transglomerular cationic solute flux is mediated by a convection-binding mechanism that creates an effective polyvalent barrier.

Enhancement of glomerular immune complex deposition by a circulating polycation.

It is known that polycations bind to and neutralize glomerular polyanions. Here we examine the effect of the polycation polyethyleneimine (PEI) on glomerular deposition of preformed immune complexes. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-anti-BSA immune complexes made in 40 times antigen excess were administered following intravenous injection of PEI. Glomerular localization of immune deposits was assessed by quantitative immunofluorescence and electron microscopy and compared to controls receiving diluent without PEI followed by the same dose in immune complexes. In rats receiving PEI, deposits were localized within the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) of all peripheral capillary walls and in the mesangium. In controls, deposits localized exclusively within the mesangium in smaller amounts than after PEI. Thus, neutralization of glomerular polyanion by a circulating polycation enhances the deposition and alters the distribution of immune complexes in glomeruli.